Connectivity of Coral Ecosystems (CYCLE) in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico

Connectivity of Coral Ecosystems (CYCLE) in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico

Image Gallery

This page contains photos associated with the Connectivity of Coral Ecosystems (CYCLE) in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico expedition. Click on any image or video to view a larger version and for additional information.

Science team of the CYCLE research cruise onboard the R/V Pelican.

Science team of the CYCLE research cruise onboard R/V Pelican.

Glimpse of a sea turtle swimming by Swiftia exerta colonies at Alderdice bank, 90 meters (295 feet) deep.

Glimpse of a sea turtle swimming by Swiftia exerta colonies.

Basket stars, feather stars, and corals colonizing the top of a carbonate outcrop at Alderdice Bank, 86 meters (282 feet) deep.

Basket stars, feather stars, and corals colonizing at Alderdice Bank.

School of curious small fish attracted by the ROV lights while diving at night.

School of curious small fish attracted by the ROV lights.

Red snapper, Lutjanas campechanus, is one of two focal species for this project. Red snapper is a commercial species that is found throughout the Gulf of Mexico from 15-90 meters (50-300 feet) in depth.

Red snapper is one of two focal species for this project.

Tomtate, Haemulon aurolineatum, is one of two focal species for this project.

Tomtate is one of two focal species for this project.

The R/V Southern Journey, owned and operated by NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service, will be used for collecting our target fish species.

R/V Southern Journey

The R/V Southern Journey will be used for collecting our target fish species.

The highly complex coral formations of the Flower Garden Banks provide habitat for large grouper species, including this 70-centimeter (2.3-foot) black grouper, Mycteroperca bonaci, commonly seen at West Flower Garden Bank.

A 70-centimeter black grouper commonly seen at West Flower Garden Bank.

Due to its high-latitude location within the Gulf of Mexico, the Flower Garden Banks hosts only 31 of the 82 scleractinian coral species found elsewhere in the Caribbean.

Flower Garden Banks hosts only 31 of the 82 scleractinian coral species found elsewhere in the Caribbean.

Highly migratory species, including manta rays (pictured), sharks, and turtles are common visitors to the food-rich coral caps of the Flower Garden Banks.

Highly migratory species are common visitors to the food-rich coral caps of the Flower Garden Banks.

Coral colonies can grow to enormous proportions, often over 1 meter (3 feet) in diameter or height.

Coral colonies can grow to enormous proportions, often over 1 meter in diameter or height.

While bleaching events are considered uncommon in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, a thermal anomaly in 2016 caused widespread bleaching of corals on the coral caps at both West and East Flower Garden Banks.

Bleaching Event

A thermal anomaly in 2016 caused widespread bleaching of corals at West and East Flower Garden Banks.

An image of a mesophotic habitat in the Gulf of Mexico collected using the high-resolution camera on the <em>Global Explorer</em> remotely operated vehicle.

An image of a mesophotic habitat in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Tiger Grouper, Mycteroperca tigris, prefers rocky habitat similar to that found in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.

The Tiger Grouper, Mycteroperca tigris, prefers rocky habitat.

An example of a habitat suitability map.

Habitat Suitability

An example of a habitat suitability map.

Hypnogorgia pendula, an abundant coral species in mesophotic banks of the Gulf of Mexico.

Hypnogorgia pendula, an abundant coral species in mesophotic banks of the Gulf of Mexico.

An example map showing the probability that larvae disperse from one area to another.

Larvae Dispersal Map

An example map showing the probability that larvae disperse from one area to another.

ARMS deployed on rocky coral/sponge habitat in Alderdice Bank at 63 meters deep.

ARMS deployed on rocky coral/sponge habitat in Alderdice Bank.

Set of ARMS deployed in a coral community on Diaphus Bank at 80 meters (262 feet) deep.

Set of ARMS deployed in a coral community on Diaphus Bank.

ARMS being deployed by the Global Explorer ROV in a sandy patch on Alderdice Bank at 63 meters (207 feet) deep.

ARMS Deployment

ARMS being deployed by the ROV on Alderdice Bank.

Maria Granquist, Jennie McClain, and Janessy Frometa assembling ARMS before deployment at McGrail Bank.

Maria Granquist, Jennie McClain, and Janessy Frometa assembling ARMS.

ARMS in a deployment basket awaiting deployment at McGrail Bank.

ARMS Awaiting Deployment

ARMS in a deployment basket awaiting deployment at McGrail Bank.

The Global Explorer remotely operated vehicle collecting sediment samples at Alderdice bank, 63 meters (207 feet) deep, using a push core.

Sample Collection

The ROV collecting sediment samples at Alderdice bank using a push core.

Jennie McClain offloading sediment cores from the remotely operated vehicle after a dive at Alderdice bank.

Offloading Samples

Jennie McClain offloading sediment cores after a dive at Alderdice bank.

Jennie McClain filtering water samples for particulate organic matter (POM) collected with niskin bottles mounted on the Global Explorer remotely operated vehicle.

Filtering Water Samples

Jennie McClain filtering water samples.

Mesophotic corals Swiftia exserta and Antipathes furcata collected at Diaphus Bank.

Mesophotic corals collected at Diaphus Bank.

Lehigh University postdoctoral researcher, Matt Galaska, preserving coral tissue.

Processing Samples

Matt Galaska preserving coral tissue.

NOAA contractor Janessy Frometa processes mesophotic coral samples collected at Diaphus Bank at 90-100 meters (295-328 feet) depth.

Processing Samples

Janessy Frometa processes mesophotic coral samples collected at Diaphus Bank.

Science teams must work quickly to process ROV-collected samples for proper preservation.

Processing Samples

The science team works quickly to process samples for proper preservation.

ROV Global Explorer being deployed from the R/V Pelican.

ROV Global Explorer being deployed from the R/V Pelican.

View from the ROV of a coral community at 81 meters (265 feet) deep on Diaphus Bank.

Coral Community

View from the ROV of a coral community on Diaphus Bank.

View from the ROV of Chief Scientist Dr. Santiago Herrera recovering coral samples for genetic analyses from the ROV bioboxes after a successful dive.

View from the ROV of Chief Scientist Dr. Santiago Herrera recovering coral samples.

Dr. Jill McDermott leading a dive of the ROV Global Explorer.

Dr. Jill McDermott leading a dive of the ROV Global Explorer.

Map of study sites in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico.

Map of study sites in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico.

The R/V <em>Pelican</em>, owned and operated by the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, is one of two vessels that we will be using this field season.

The R/V Pelican is one of two vessels that we will be using this field season.

Scientists collecting the sea fan, <em>Swiftia exserta</em>, with a remotely operated vehicle.

Sea Fan Collection

Scientists collecting a sea fan with a remotely operated vehicle.

At a depth of 35 meters (115 feet), Bright Bank features an algal/sponge community typical of many shallower bank areas.

Bright Bank features an algal/sponge community typical of many shallower bank areas.

The sea fan, Hypnogorgia pendula, one of our focal species, is found throughout the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico.

This sea fan is found throughout the northwestern Gulf of Mexico.

Autonomous reef monitoring structures or ARMS are used by scientists to study biodiversity on coral reefs.

ARMS Deployment

Autonomous reef monitoring structures or ARMS are used to study biodiversity on coral reefs.

Mesophotic coral ecosystems can be found from 30–100+ meters in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Pictured is Geyer Bank at approximately 32 meters.

Mesophotic coral ecosystems can be found from 30–100+ meters in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico.

McGrail Bank habitat includes some large coral colonies (Montastraea cavernosa and Colpophyllia natans) that are also found at East and West Flower Garden Banks.

McGrail Bank habitat includes some large coral colonies that are also found at East and West Flower Garden Banks.

Mesophotic coral ecosystems serve as habitat for commercially important species, such as the Marbled Grouper, Dermatolepis inermis, at Parker Bank.

Marbled Grouper

Mesophotic coral ecosystems serve as habitat for commercially important species, such as the Marbled Grouper.

Invasive lionfish amid a <em>Hypnogorgia</em> octocoral garden, 83 meters (272 feet) deep at Elvers Bank.

Lionfish and Coral

Invasive lionfish amid a Hypnogorgia octocoral garden at Elvers Bank.

Marbled grouper, Dermatoplepis inermis, among coral communities at 98 m (322 ft) deep at Elvers Bank.

Marbled Grouper

Marbled grouper among coral communities at Elvers Bank.

Reef fish at Elvers Bank.

Reef fish at Elvers Bank.

The coral reefs of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary have over 50 percent coral cover, dominated by massive star and brain corals.

The coral reefs of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary have over 50 percent coral cover, dominated by massive star and brain corals.

The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is finalizing a proposal to expand the boundaries of the sanctuary to portions of the areas shown in red.

The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is proposing to expand the boundaries of the sanctuary to portions of the areas shown in red.

A dense coral garden harboring octocorals, black corals, coralline algae, sponges, and cup corals, located at Elvers Bank at 117 meters (384 feet) depth.

A dense coral garden harboring octocorals, black corals, coralline algae, sponges, and cup corals.