2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones: New England and Corner Rise Seamounts

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2021-06-29 17:30:03

Kasey Cantwell, Expedition Coordinator, NOAA Ocean Exploration Kimberly Galvez, Expedition Coordinator in Training, NOAA Ocean Exploration

Remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer seen imaging a diverse deep-sea coral habitat on Retriever Seamount, explored during the Our Deepwater Backyard: Exploring Atlantic Canyons and Seamounts 2014. Retriever Seamount is one of the seamounts that will be targeted for exploration during the 2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones expedition. Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Our Deepwater Backyard: Exploring Atlantic Canyons and Seamounts 2014. Download larger version (jpg, 1.7 MB).

From June 30 through July 29, 2021, NOAA Ocean Exploration and partners will conduct the 2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones: New England and Corner Rise Seamounts expedition, a telepresence-enabled ocean exploration expedition on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer to collect critical baseline information about unknown and poorly understood deepwater areas off the eastern U.S. coast and high seas. During this expedition, at-sea and shore-based science teams will work together to map the seafloor and observe many targeted sites in this region for the first time. Remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dives are planned from July 2 to July 28, at depths ranging from 250 to 4,000 meters (820 to 13,124 feet).

Mapping and ROV operations during this expedition will include, but are not limited to, exploration of deep-sea coral and sponge communities, fish habitats, areas predicted to have high levels of marine mineral accretion, deep seamount flanks and guyot summits, ridge seamounts, ecosystems of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, and other unexplored areas in the New England and Corner Rise Seamounts. The data collected during a total of 25 planned ROV dives along with collected mapping data will enable scientists and managers to build a better understanding of the diversity and distribution of deepwater habitats in this region, allowing for informed resource management decisions.

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