Northern Neighbors: Transboundary Exploration of Deepwater Communities

Northern Neighbors: Transboundary Exploration of Deepwater Communities
  1. Home
  2. Expeditions
  3. Transboundary Exploration of Deepwater Communities
  4. Background

Background Information

The essays below will help you to understand the goals and objectives of the mission and provide additional context and information about the places being explored and the science, tools, and technologies being used.

  • Northern Neighbors: Transboundary Exploration of Deepwater Communities: Mission Plan

    June 8-22, 2017  |  By Martha Nizinski and Anna Metaxas

    NOAA Ship Henry Bigelow at sea.
    ROV ROPOS

    Beginning on June 8, 2017, a team of scientists aboard NOAA Ship Henry Bigelow will spend 15 days at sea exploring canyon and slope habitats off the coast of the Northeast U.S. and Atlantic Canada, as well as study sites in the Gulf of Maine with the Canadian remotely operated vehicle Remotely Operated Platform for Ocean Science (ROPOS).

    Read more

  • Deep-Sea Coral Conservation and Management Actions off the Northeastern U.S.

    By Dave Packer

    An example of deep-sea coral garden habitat in Western Jordan Basin, Gulf of Maine. This area would be protected under the current New England Fisheries Management Council proposal.

    The 2007 Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act provides a mechanism by which to protect deep-sea corals in U.S. waters. Fisheries in federal waters are primarily managed by NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service under fishery management plans developed by the various regional Fishery Management Councils.

    Read more

  • Partnerships: U.S. and Canada Share Resources and Data to Meet Common Goals

    By Martha Nizinski and Anna Metaxas

    U.S. and Canadian scientists return for a second collaborative cruise in search of deep-sea coral habitats like this one observed in Heezen Canyon.

    Living marine resources have no geopolitical boundaries. Managing each nation’s resources requires a strong scientific and management enterprise strengthened by our ability to work effectively with our international partners. U.S. and Canadian scientists share many deep-sea coral research interests, thus planning for transboundary collaborations was a logical next step.

    Read more

  • The Remotely Operated Platform for Ocean Science – A Remotely Operated Vehicle

    By Ashley Thomson

    The ROPOS ROV being recovered from a dive.

    The Remotely Operated Platform for Ocean Science (ROPOS) is a remotely operated vehicle which is able to dive up to 5,000 meters (16,404 feet). ROPOS is an unmanned submersible that is controlled from a surface vessel through an armored electrical-optical umbilical cable.

    Read more

  • Recent Effort to Conserve Canada’s Sensitive Benthic Areas

    By Anna Metaxas

    Surveys in Jordan Basin, northern Gulf of Maine, revealed high densities of the red tree coral.
    Large colonies of bubblegum corals were observed on the walls of Corsair Canyon.

    The Northwest Atlantic continental shelf and slope are significant both for their biological assemblages, which include important fisheries species, and for their other natural resources, such as oil and gas. To meet its international obligations, the Canadian government has committed to establish a national network of marine orotected areas to protect 10 percent of marine and coastal areas by 2020.

    Read more
Mission Logs
Image Gallery
For Educators
Background Information
Media Resources
Meet the Explorers
Related Links