Lead: John Reed

This project will support personnel to review, analyze, and compile previously collected video and still image data from benthic surveys of deep-sea coral and sponge communities (azooxanthellate deep-water corals and sponges that occur deeper than 50 m depth) that were collected during NOAA-funded research expeditions in order to incorporate these observations into the National Database of Deep-Sea Corals and Sponges.

The schema for the database is summarized in Hourigan et al. (2015). Records of interest include all habitat forming deep-sea corals (Cnidaria: Anthozoa [Scleractinia, gorgonian Octocorallia, alcyonacean Octocorallia, Antipatharia, Pennatulacea]; and Hydrozoa [Stylasterina]) and sponges (Porifera: Calcarea, Hexactinellida, Demospongiae, Homoscleromorpha). Key parameters of interest include metadata (e.g., PI, contact info, survey ID), vessel, vehicle, date, time of observation, dive number, depth, longitude, latitude, taxonomic identification to lowest taxa possible, with abundance (as counts, density or cover), habitat type, and other notes on observation or sample as available.

This project will not involve the re-analysis of video and photos. Rather, this project will query the existing HBOI database, and retrieve deep-sea coral and sponge records that have not yet been submitted to the National Database of Deep-Sea Coral and Sponges. Once those records are identified, they will be reformatted and prepared submission to the national database using the NOAA DSCRTP data management standards (see Hourigan et al. 2015).