Atlantic Canyons Undersea Mapping 2012 Expeditions

Atlantic Canyons Undersea Mapping 2012 Expeditions

Image Gallery

This page contains photos and videos associated with the Atlantic Canyons Undersea Mapping 2012 Expeditions. Click on any image to view a larger version and for additional information.

Canyon priority areas before associated mapping activities were conducted.

ACUMEN Summary Map

Canyon priority areas before associated mapping activities were conducted.

Area surveyed during the June 2011 expedition on NOAA Ship Nancy Foster.

ACUMEN Summary Map

Area surveyed during the June 2011 expedition on NOAA Ship Nancy Foster.

Image includes area surveyed by NOAA Ship Ferdinand R. Hassler during a June 2012 expedition.

ACUMEN Summary Map

Image includes area surveyed by NOAA Ship Ferdinand R. Hassler during a June 2012 expedition.

Image includes area surveyed by NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer during an expedition in October 2011.

ACUMEN Summary Map

Image includes area surveyed by NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer during an expedition in October 2011.

Image includes area surveyed by NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer during an expedition in February 2012.

ACUMEN Summary Map

Image includes area surveyed by NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer during an expedition in February 2012.

Image includes area surveyed by NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer during an expedition in May and June 2012.

ACUMEN Summary Map

Image includes area surveyed by NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer during an expedition in May and June 2012.

Image includes area surveyed by NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer during an expedition in July and August 2012.

ACUMEN Summary Map

Image includes area surveyed by NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer during an expedition in July and August 2012.

Tom's Canyon Complex priority area before associated mapping activities were conducted.

Tom's Canyon Complex

Tom's Canyon Complex priority area before associated mapping activities were conducted.

Area surveyed during the June 2012 ACUMEN expedition on NOAA Ship Ferdinand R. Hassler.

Tom's Canyon Complex

Area surveyed during the June 2012 ACUMEN expedition on NOAA Ship Ferdinand R. Hassler.

Image includes area surveyed by NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer during an October 2011 expedition.

Tom's Canyon Complex

Image includes area surveyed by NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer during an October 2011 expedition.

Image includes area surveyed by NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer during the February 2012 ACUMEN expedition.

Tom's Canyon Complex

Image includes area surveyed by NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer during the February 2012 ACUMEN expedition.

Image includes area surveyed by NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer during the May/June 2012 ACUMEN expedition.

Tom's Canyon Complex

Image includes area surveyed by NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer during the May/June 2012 ACUMEN expedition.

Image combined the various data sets from all previous expeditions into a single seamless data set for the entire Tom's Canyon Complex.

Tom's Canyon Complex

Image combined the various data sets from all previous expeditions into a single seamless data set for the entire Tom's Canyon Complex.

Image includes locations of towed camera operations conducted during a NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow ACUMEN expedition in July 2012.

Tom's Canyon Complex

Image includes locations of towed camera operations conducted during a NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow ACUMEN expedition in July 2012.

Image includes locations of towed camera operations conducted during a NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow expedition in July 2012.

ACUMEN Summary Map

Image includes locations of towed camera operations conducted during a NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow expedition in July 2012.

Deep-sea coral, Paragorgia arborea, on the edge of Hendrickson Canyon (ca. 1,775 meters) in the Toms Canyon complex.

Deep-sea coral, Paragorgia arborea, on the edge of Hendrickson Canyon (ca. 1,775 meters) in the Toms Canyon complex.

Image taken by Woods Hole Oceanographic Instution’s TowCam aboard the Henry B. Bigelow shows yellow sponges and deep-sea corals on the edge of Middle Tom’s Canyon (ca. 1,600 meters).

Image taken by Woods Hole Oceanographic Instution’s TowCam shows yellow sponges and deep-sea corals on the edge of Middle Tom’s Canyon.

Orange brisingid sea stars (Freyella sp.) are common on sedimented rock at 1,703 meters in southwestern Toms Canyon.

Brisingid Sea Stars

Orange brisingid sea stars are common on sedimented rock at 1,703 meters in southwestern Tom's Canyon.

Several small red corals (Anthomastus sp.), yellow corals (Paramuricea sp.) with brittle star associates, and two white vase sponges are just a few of the organisms captured in this image taken at 1,419 meters in Veatch Canyon.

Several small red corals, yellow corals with brittle star associates, and two white vase sponges in Veatch Canyon.

A field of yellow Paramuricea sp. corals and a sea star observed at 1679 meters in Gilbert Canyon.

A field of yellow Paramuricea sp. corals and a sea star observed at 1,679 meters in Gilbert Canyon.

The crew prepares TowCam for deployment.

The crew prepares TowCam for deployment.

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s TowCam, our “eye in the sea,” lifts off the deck during deployment on the first dive of the cruise.

TowCam Launch

The TowCam lifts off the deck during deployment on the first dive of the cruise.

Many brittle stars scattered over pebbled sediment at 1,965 meters in Gilbert Canyon.

Many brittle stars scattered over pebbled sediment at 1,965 meters in Gilbert Canyon.

Large bubblegum corals (top center image) and smaller octocorals, yellow Paramuricea sp. observed at 1,221 meters in Gilbert Canyon.

Large bubblegum corals and smaller octocorals observed at 1,221 meters in Gilbert Canyon.

A white sponge approximately, 60 centimeters in length, is hosting two shrimp. Multiple smaller sponges, anemones, and urchins were also observed at this rock, cobble, and sedimented habitat at 820 meters depth in Gilbert Canyon.

A white sponge approximately is hosting two shrimp in Gilbert Canyon.

A close up of black coral (Bathypathes sp.), multiple yellow (Paramuricea sp.), and red (top right of image; Swiftia sp.) corals as TowCam came very close to this scarp at 1,679 meters in Gilbert Canyon.

A close up of black coral, multiple yellow and red corals along a scarp at 1,679 meters in Gilbert Canyon.

Three NOAA ships are directly involved with the Atlantic Canyons Undersea Mapping Expeditions.

NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer

Three NOAA ships are directly involved with the Atlantic Canyons Undersea Mapping Expeditions.

The map displays bathymetry collected during the first ACUMEN cruise.

Collected Bathymetry

This map displays bathymetry collected during the first ACUMEN cruise.

Google Earth map showing general priorities and planned coverage areas for 2012 ACUMEN operations

Planned ACUMEN Operations

Google Earth map showing general priorities and planned coverage areas for 2012 ACUMEN operations.

NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer is docked in Norfolk awaiting a June 2012 cruise to map the mid-Atlantic's deep water canyons.

NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer

NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer docked, awaiting a cruise to map the mid-Atlantic's deepwater canyons.

NOAA Corps officers on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer discuss operations with federal and state scientists and managers.

Bridge of the Okeanos Explorer

NOAA Corps officers on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer discuss operations with scientists and managers.

Mashkoor Malik discusses the various types of data that are being collected by various NOAA ships as part of the Atlantic Canyons Undersea Mapping Expeditions (ACUMEN) project.

Okeanos Explorer Control Room

Mashkoor Malik discusses the various types of data that are being collected by various NOAA ships.

This single collection from a suction sampler includes several different types of deep coral.

This single collection from a suction sampler includes several different types of deep coral.

Martha Nizinski examines a deepwater coral specimen collected off the southeastern U.S.

Martha Nizinski examines a deepwater coral specimen collected off the southeastern U.S.

Urchins are just one of the many animals found in association with deepwater coral.

Urchins are just one of the many animals found in association with deepwater coral.

NOAA Ship Ferdinand R. Hassler on commissioning day, June 8, 2012.

NOAA Ship Ferdinand R. Hassler

NOAA Ship Ferdinand R. Hassler on commissioning day, June 8, 2012.

Senior Survey Technician David Moehl at the controls of Hassler’s multi-beam echosounders in the ship’s Survey Lab. Hassler is equipped with several different seabed mapping systems, each optimized for a different depth range.

Senior Survey Technician David Moehl at the controls of Hassler’s multibeam echosounders in the ship’s Survey Lab.

LT Sam Greenaway and Physical Scientist Vanessa Self-Miller prepare to deploy a Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) instrument.

LT Sam Greenaway and Vanessa Self-Miller prepare to deploy a Conductivity-Temperature-Depth instrument.

Hassler’s mapping coverage in the Toms Canyon area, overlaid on mapping data from Okeanos Explorer.

Hassler’s mapping coverage in the Toms Canyon area, overlaid on mapping data from Okeanos Explorer.

Hassler’s mapping coverage in the Block Canyon area, overlaid on mapping data from Okeanos Explorer.

Hassler’s mapping coverage in the Block Canyon area, overlaid on mapping data from Okeanos Explorer.

Pock marks mapped by Hassler in the vicinity of Block Canyon. These depressions in the seabed are approximately 10 meters deep and 150-200 meters across.

Pock marks mapped by Hassler in the vicinity of Block Canyon.

Overview of ACUMEN project area.

Overview of ACUMEN project area.

Intern Meredith Myers and marine ecologist Dave Packer viewing canyon data using Fledermaus software in the Okeanos Explorer control room.

In the Control Room

Meredith Myers and Dave Packer viewing canyon data in the Okeanos Explorer control room.

This poster shows the locations and provides information about the areas that were mapped during the second Atlantic Canyons Undersea Mapping expedition.

Overview Poster

Locations and information about areas mapped during the second Atlantic Canyons Undersea Mapping expedition.

Approximately 900 square kilometers of seafloor were mapped during focused survey operations at Block, Ryan, and McMaster Canyons as part of this expedition.

Approximately 900 square kilometers of seafloor were mapped at Block, Ryan, and McMaster Canyons as part of this expedition.

Focused mapping operations at Hendrickson, Toms, and Berkeley Canyons covered approximately 1,400 square kilometers of seafloor.

Focused mapping operations at Hendrickson, Toms, and Berkeley Canyons covered approximately 1,400 square kilometers of seafloor.