Connectivity of Coral Ecosystems (CYCLE) in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico
Past Expedition
Overview
This was the first year of a five-year study to investigate population connectivity for key coral, sponge, and fish species between shallow and mesophotic reefs of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and its proposed expansion areas to the east. The project led by Lehigh University is funded by NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science and the Office of Ocean Exploration and Research in partnership with the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.
Features
Summary of the Connectivity of Coral Ecosystems (CYCLE) in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico project.
June 10, 2019
From May 17 to 26, if you are looking for me, I’ll be out fishing. The second cruise, this field season, will begin on May 17 on the R/V Southern Journey (owned and operated by NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service) and will focus on collecting our two target species―Red Snapper (Lutjanas campechanus) and Tomtate (Haemulon aurolineatum).
May 11, 2019
The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico is comprised of stunning and unique continental shelf-edge coral reef habitats.
May 9, 2019
View Less
Marine animals that live on the reefs and banks of the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico have propagules (i.e., eggs, larvae, or juveniles) that often move or disperse to other reefs and banks transported by ocean currents. Because it is difficult to track a single egg or larva, we are modeling the oceanic currents that affect the reefs and banks located on the outer continental shelf in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico.
May 7, 2019
Marine animals that live on the reefs and banks of the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico have propagules (i.e., eggs, larvae, or juveniles) that often move or disperse to other reefs and banks transported by ocean currents. Because it is difficult to track a single egg or larva, we are modeling the oceanic currents that affect the reefs and banks located on the outer continental shelf in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico.
May 5, 2019
Autonomous reef monitoring structures or ARMS are standardized stacked layers of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) plates that mimic the structural complexity of reefs. Think of them as underwater condominiums or pre-fabricated homes that can be used as biodiversity barometers to compare one place to another or change to an ecosystem through time.
May 3, 2019
By tracking the diet of animals in and around the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, we can understand what the animals have eaten and where they have traveled to obtain their food. In turn, this information helps resource managers understand habitat use and food web connections between different marine animals.
May 1, 2019
Today, we are going to discuss how we preserve the coral samples we are collecting with the Global Explorer remotely operated vehicle (ROV).
April 29, 2019
On our cruise, we are using the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Global Explorer (owned and operated by Oceaneering International, Inc.) to sample animals, including corals and sponges, which serve as local biodiversity hotspots and habitats for other organisms within the northwestern Gulf of Mexico.
April 27, 2019
This is the first year of a five year study to investigate connectivity of key coral, sponge, and fish species between shallow and mesophotic coral ecosystems of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and its proposed expansion areas to the east.
April 22, 2019
The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is home to spectacular coral reefs–with massive boulder and brain corals dominating the landscape, as far as a diver can see .
April 22, 2019
We are studying the coral ecosystems found on the reefs and banks to the east of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary to determine their potential connectivity to the reefs of the sanctuary and other coral ecosystems further afield in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.
April 22, 2019
We are studying the coral ecosystems found on the reefs and banks to the east of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary to determine their potential connectivity to the reefs of the sanctuary and other coral ecosystems further afield in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.
April 22, 2019
Mesophotic coral ecosystems are characterized by the presence of light-dependent corals and associated communities typically found at depths ranging from 30-40 m and extending to over 100 m in the Gulf of Mexico .
April 22, 2019
Multimedia
Featured multimedia assets associated with this project.
Meet the Exploration Team
Learn more about the team members and their contributions to this project.
Assistant Professor - University of New Brunswick
Graduate Student - Lehigh University
Graduate Student - Lehigh University
Fishery Biologist - NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service
Marine Biologist - CSS Dynamac Contractor for NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
Postdoctoral Research Associate – Lehigh University