Publications

This report sets the stage for the next phase of deep-sea coral (DSC) and sponge research under the Pacific Islands (PI) Deep-sea Ecosystems of Sponges and Corals: Exploration, iNvestigation, and Technology (DESCENT) Initiative (2025–2028). To map out this ambitious effort, the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center convened a science planning workshop on November 13–14, 2024. Building on the achievements of CAPSTONE (Campaign to Address Pacific monument Science, Technology, and Ocean NEeds, 2015–2018) and other foundational research, the workshop brought together experts from across the country to advise on a strategic course for advancing our understanding and management of deep-sea ecosystems in the Pacific.

This report presents the results of 10 projects conducted using DSCRTP funds from 2020 to 2024 and other continuing efforts to promote the preservation and knowledge sharing about DSCS within the Alaska region. Four of the projects conducted as part of the Alaska Initiative included dedicated at-sea cruises (Section 2). These projects included the 1) Gulf of Alaska species distribution model validation study, 2) the Primnoa recruitment and reproduction study, 3) the Joint Canada-USA international seamount survey, and 4) the Aleutian closure area study. In all, these four projects included seven separate research cruises with a total of 82 at-sea days. The other six projects (Section 3) were supported by samples collected during these field projects or other Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) supported surveys.

The Cross Border Coral Habitat Exploration (CROCHET) mission, the fourth highly successful transnational collaboration between the United States and Canada, was designed to increase understanding of deep-sea coral habitats as well as species’ distributions, abundances, diversity and habitat use on both sides of the border. From 18–31 July 2024, a team of international scientists investigated deep-sea coral habitats using the Canadian Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) ROPOS aboard NOAA Ship Henry Bigelow. Survey sites included submarine canyons, marine protected areas, and the Gulf of Maine. During 10 ROV dives, video footage and digital still images were taken; specimens were collected for taxonomy, isotopes, and genomic analyses. Water samples, collected at depth using Niskin bottles attached to the ROV and a CTD rosette deployed from the ship, were processed for eDNA analysis. Additionally, physiological experiments, image acquisition for photogrammetry, and multibeam mapping were conducted. Preliminary dive summaries are included. Observations and preliminary findings in both the canyons and the Gulf of Maine further demonstrate the importance of ongoing collaborative.

The Deep Sea Coral Research & Technology Program (DSCRTP) funded a Northeast regional initiative from 2013 to 2015 to locate, survey, and characterize deep-sea coral and sponge communities from Maine to North Carolina.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program convened a two-day science priorities workshop on May 2-3, 2023 to build partnerships and set research priorities for the program’s four-year (2023-2026) Northeast Deep-Sea Coral Initiative.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program compiles, curates, and makes public a National Database of biogeographic data and information on deep-sea corals and sponges. This report details developments and enhancements to the database since it became accessible through the online portal in 2015.

This report summarizes the objectives, accomplishments, and outcomes of NOAA's West Coast Deep-Sea Coral Initiative, funded by the Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program. The four-year initiative (2018-2021) was designed to explore, map, characterize, and conduct research on deep-sea coral and sponge habitats in the Pacific Fishery Management Council region, inclusive of waters off California, Oregon, and Washington.

This report summarizes fiscal year 2020 and 2021 activities that supported management decisions, improved our understanding of deep-sea coral and sponge communities, and leveraged partnerships to enhance operational efficiency and effectiveness. Operating through NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Habitat Conservation, and funded at approximately $2.3 million annually to support national-scale research, the Program collaborates widely and leverages substantial funding to study the role of corals in support of deep-sea ecosystems.

The purpose of this science plan is to outline a general strategy for the execution and completion of the most important research activities conducted under the Alaska Deep-Sea Coral and Sponge Initiative (AKCSI). The plan outlines the general approach and proposed research. Research projects supported by the 2020-2023 AKCSI will consist of the following:

• Research expeditions that survey, sample, and map DSCS ecosystems throughout the Alaska
  region.
• Research projects focused on deep-sea coral and sponge data and analyses of survey samples.
• Deliverables that support the goals of AKCSI and the Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program.

This report summarizes fiscal year 2018 and 2019 activities that supported management decisions, improved our understanding of deep-sea coral communities, and prioritized partnerships to enhance operational efficiency and effectiveness. Operating through NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Habitat Conservation, and funded at approximately $2.3 million annually to support national-scale research, the Program collaborates widely to cost-effectively study the role of corals in support of deep-sea ecosystems.