Download cruise report: https://waves-vagues.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/library-bibliotheque/41101212.pdf
With manned submersible Titan to investigate the Titanic wreck. A further site believed to be a shipwreck was also examined. This was an igneous rocky ridge feature with abundant deep coral and sponge fauna.
Use of Passive Acoustics to Quantify Fish Biodiversity and Habitat Use: Sambro Bank Sponge Conservation Area
Habitat mapping, VME mapping, CAMPOD, selected sampling of specimens in Icelandic EEZ
Cruise report: https://www.hafogvatn.is/static/research/files/hv2021-40.pdf
By sampling Northwest Atlantic deep-sea basins, the expedition IceDivA II aims to extend the previous Northeast Atlantic deep-sea programs, IceAGE (Icelandic marine Animals: Genetics and Ecology) and IceDivA (Icelandic marine Animals meets Diversity along latitudinal gradients in the deep sea of the Atlantic Ocean), also linking with the South Atlantic deep-sea programme DIVA (Latitudinal Gradients in BioDIVersity in the deep Atlantic) and those in the Southern Ocean. This will provide pan-Atlantic deep-sea samples to investigate topics regarding species richness and evolution. To map the species diversity, and answer questions on the connectivity of deep-sea fauna along latitudinal gradients in the pan-Atlantic Ocean, we will sample in 3,000 m to 5,500 m water depths from the Icelandic Basin, via the Labrador Basin, to the Newfoundland Basin, bridging the NW Atlantic knowledge gap between prior expeditions. The faunal analysis will follow an integrative approach, combining modern genomic methods with traditional, morphological taxonomy. Via cooperative data/sample sharing we will support the BMBF project PLASTISEA as well as the EU projects iAtlantic and HOTMIC.
FOLLOW THE EXPEDITION BLOG HERE
Summer 2021 – dates TBC
Scotian Shelf: Deployment of baited-camera-acoustic landers
Dates TBC. Target area is the Gully canyon in support of WP3. Potential activities include collection of benthic images (drop camera, video?), deployment of benthic lander to complement similar deployments elsewhere, use of MAPPS for eDNA sampling.
Deep Connections 2019 is a two-leg expedition focused on exploring deep-water habitats of the U.S. and Canadian Atlantic Continental Margin. The first leg (EX1905-L1)will use the ship’s sonar systems (Kongsberg EM302 multibeam, Simrad EK60 and EK80 split-beam, Knudsen 3260 chirp sub-bottom profiler, and Teledyne Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler), concentrating on seafloor and water column areas with little or no high-quality sonar data, as well as identification of potential maritime heritage sites. The second leg (EX1905L2) will use NOAA’s dual-body ROV capable of diving to 6,000-meter depths to explore a diversity of poorly known seafloor, geological features, and midwater habitats during the daytime, as well as conduct overnight mapping operations using the systems noted above.Additionally, the expedition will use the ship’s high-bandwidth satellite connection to engage a broad spectrum of scientists, resource managers, and the public in telepresence-based exploration.
Leg 1 (Mapping only): August 6-20, 2019, starting in North Kingstown, Rhode Island & ending in Halifax, Nova Scotia
Leg 2 (ROV and mapping): August 26-September 15, 2019, starting in Halifax, Nova Scotia & ending in NorthKingstown, Rhode Island
Cruise report available at: https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/explorations/ex1905/logs/summary/summary.html