From Aggregations to Individuals: Exploring Migrating Deep-Sea Scattering Layers Through Multiscale-Multimode Technologies in the Gulf of Mexico

From Aggregations to Individuals: Exploring Migrating Deep-Sea Scattering Layers Through Multiscale-Multimode Technologies in the Gulf of Mexico

Past Expedition

Dates
July 26 to August 1, 2021
Location
Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean
Vessel
R/V Point Sur

Overview

From July 26 to August 1, 2021, a multi-institutional science team set sail aboard the R/V Point Sur from Gulfport, Mississippi and headed towards DeSoto Canyon. The objectives of this mission, funded by NOAA Ocean Exploration, were to deploy two different autonomous sensor platforms developed as part of this project: National Geographic Society’s Driftcam and the Teledyne Webb Research Slocum glider. During this cruise we focused on areas that have been studied extensively during the DEEPEND|RESTORE program  in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM).

Features

Autonomous sensor platforms will be deployed at stations near the DeSoto Canyon and also along the shelf break where the mesopelagic community interacts with complex bathymetric features.
September 3, 2021
The objectives of this mission, funded by NOAA Ocean Exploration, are to deploy two different autonomous sensor platforms developed as part of this project: National Geographic Society’s Driftcam and the Teledyne Webb Research Slocum glider.
August 4, 2021
The objectives of this mission, funded by NOAA Ocean Exploration, are to deploy two different autonomous sensor platforms developed as part of this project: National Geographic Society’s Driftcam and the Teledyne Webb Research Slocum glider.
August 4, 2021
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Autonomous sensor platforms will be deployed at stations near the DeSoto Canyon and also along the shelf break where the mesopelagic community interacts with complex bathymetric features.
August 2, 2021
Autonomous sensor platforms will be deployed at stations near the DeSoto Canyon and also along the shelf break where the mesopelagic community interacts with complex bathymetric features.
July 30, 2021
The Second Star Robotics and National Geographic team working on the Driftcam.
Autonomous sensor platforms will be deployed at stations near the DeSoto Canyon and also along the shelf break where the mesopelagic community interacts with complex bathymetric features.
July 28, 2021
Echogram illustrating the ascending and descending phases of the diel migrations (warmer colors) through the water column. The downward and upward migration activity occurs during dawn and dusk periods. The color scale represents the strength of the sound that is reflected by the organisms in the water column from the ship-based sonar. Cooler colors show less sound reflected and warmer colors show more sound reflected, indicating the presence and density of animals.
Autonomous sensor platforms will be deployed at stations near the DeSoto Canyon and also along the shelf break where the mesopelagic community interacts with complex bathymetric features.
July 28, 2021
Autonomous sensor platforms will be deployed at stations near the DeSoto Canyon and also along the shelf break where the mesopelagic community interacts with complex bathymetric features.
July 28, 2021
Figure 1. Acoustic backscatter data at 18kHz (top) and 38 kHz (bottom) shows the vertical and horizontal distribution of biological scatterers associated with the shelf break in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Color scale represents acoustic scattering intensity (in dB re 1 m-1).
Autonomous sensor platforms will be deployed at stations near the DeSoto Canyon and also along the shelf break where the mesopelagic community interacts with complex bathymetric features.
July 27, 2021

Multimedia

Featured multimedia assets associated with this project.

Meet the Exploration Team

Learn more about the team members and their contributions to this project.

Principal Investigator - Florida International University
Director of Operations, National Geographic Exploration Technology Lab
Co-founder, Second Star Robotics
Professor and Director, Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies (CICOES) - University of Washington
Research Faculty - University of South Florida
Project Manager, DEEPEND Consortium - Nova Southeastern University

Resources & Contacts