资源环境科技发展态势分析平台

Iridogorgia magnispiralis from the SW FL Escarpment. Credit NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research.

Two new photo identification guides for deep-sea corals and sponges are now available to the public from NCCOS. The new guides show many animals alive in their habitat for the first time.

The guides combine light microscope images and scanning electron microscope images with high-resolution in-situ images from robotic vehicles for:

(1) 23 species of soft corals (Alcyonacea) in Gulf of Mexico mesophotic zone, led by Andrew Shuler and released September 2020,

(2) 117 conspicuous Southeast US deep-sea coral and sponge taxa of interest to managers and taxonomists, led by Enrique Salgado and released March 2020.

Thesea rubra from the NE and NW Gulf of Mexico. Credit Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.

These guides photographically correlate collected specimens to in situ observations and enhance the scientific value of deep-sea exploration. The guides also illustrate the remarkable diversity of deep-corals in the Gulf of Mexico and Southeast U. S. continental margin, and document potential new discoveries. The identification and systematics of many of the taxa featured in these guides are essential for the valuation and protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems.

To find out more about these species guides and how they were developed, please attend the OneNOAA Science Seminar on November 12th, 12:00-1:00 pm (details forthcoming).

Citations:

Shuler, A.J. and P.J. Etnoyer. 2020. Alcyonacean octocorals of the Pinnacle Trend: A photo-identification guide.NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 282. 56 pp. doi:10.25923/xzd1-z382

Salgado, E.J. and P J. Etnoyer. 2020. Photographiccatalog of deep-sea corals collected from the US West Atlantic margin y NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer in years 2017- 2019. NOS NCCOS 273. 132 pp.

Credit Salgado and Etnoyer, 2020.

Credit Shuler and Etnoyer, 2020.