आसपास अज्ञात और खराब जाना जाता है गहरे पानी क्षेत्रों का पता लगाने के लिए एनओएए पोत Okeanos एक्सप्लोरर पर सवार एक तीन पैर अभियान का नेतृत्व करेंगे।http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/explorations/ex1502/dailyupdates/dailyupdates.htmlhttp://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/explorations/ex1502/dailyupdates/dailyupdates.



(February - April) Beginning in February 2015, the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research will lead a three-leg expedition aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer to explore unknown and poorly known deepwater regions around Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/explorations/ex1502/dailyupdates/dailyupdates.html http://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/explorations/ex1502/dailyupdates/dailyupdates.html NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer Dive 06 investigated the top of a Late Oligocene to Pilocene platform carbonate sequence and traversed a relatively minor fault scarp. This fault is the easterly extension of an approximately 100-kilometer-long fault system that forms the northern wall of the rift between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. The dive began at a depth of 593 meters on a relatively gently dipping, current-swept limestone pavement. After traversing 600 meters, more irregular topography was reached, which continued for about 1.2 kilometers until we reached and then traversed the eroded fault scarp. In terms of biodiversity, we had a great dive, documenting a higher diversity of coral, sponges, and fish than on the other dives so far. However, many of the scleractinian corals were small (less than 10 centimeter-tall colonies). Approximately 30 species of fishes were seen, including one
observation of a queen snapper. Other fauna included anemones, sea stars, squat lobsters, and
colonial tunicates. Highlights of the dive included a swimming terebellid worm, an armored sea robin responding to the ROV, and a rare sea urchin with paddle-like spines. Friday, April 17, 2015 10:09:00 GMT http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/explorations/ex1502/dailyupdates/media/apr15.html NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer Dive 05 began with a series of mid-water transects at 100-meter intervals between 800 and 1,200 meters. Fauna documented included squid, arrow worms, jellyfish, siphonophores, and small fish. ROV Deep Discoverer (D2) landed on the seafloor at a depth of 4,000 meters and transited upslope over Late Cretaceous to Middle Eocene basement rock which makes up the core of Puerto Rico and sits below the approimately one-kilometer thick carbonate layer we’d previously dived on. After traversing approximately 100 vertical meters of sedimented seafloor with little fauna, D2 climbed 200 vertical meters of steeply dipping and sometimes near vertical cliffs of outcrop of basement volcanic rocks. Biological observations during the dive included a diversity of sponges, black corals, octocorals, sea stars, fish, shrimp, and squat lobsters. Two exciting highlights from today’s dive were the close encounter with a 1.5-2 meter squid and the documentation of a rare six-arm sea star that had not been recorded, collected, or observed since the specimen was described 130 years ago. Thursday, April 16, 2015 12:46:00 GMT http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/explorations/ex1502/dailyupdates/media/apr14.html NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer ROV Deep Discoverer (D2) began Dive 4 with a series of mid-water transects to investigate life in the water column. During these transects, D2 imaged jellyfish, larvaceans, midwater fish, and siphonophores. D2 landed on a sedimented seafloor with scattered rubble at a depth of 3,927 meters. Our dive traversed two large steep exposures of well-bedded Late Miocene to Oligocene platform carbonates, both of which were underlain by less steeply dipping sediment-covered slopes with boulders of carbonate derived from the outcrops above. Downslope, sediment-filled channels were present, and their presence, together with the small amounts of iron manganese coating on much, but not all, of the carbonate attests to the recent instability of this slope. Fauna during this dive included a diversity of sponges, arrow worms, sea pens, black corals, a bamboo coral, a ctenophore, anemones, a variety and large number of sea cucumbers, a halosaur, crinoids, several large grenadiers, a lizardfish, urchins, sea stars, and shrimp. Some of the highlights of the dive were a dumbo octopus, imaging several delicate gelatinous organisms including several beautiful jellyfish, and documenting several instances of a potential symbiotic relationship between a predatory tunicate and a polychaete. Wednesday, April 15, 2015 11:27:00 GMT http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/explorations/ex1502/dailyupdates/media/apr13.html NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer ROV Deep Discoverer (D2) had a fantastic dive today exploring Pichincho, an area identified as high priority for exploration by the Caribbean Fisheries Management Council. During this dive, we traversed a fault scarp through the upper part of the Oligocene-Miocene platform carbonate sequence. D2 landed on a sedimented bottom with bivalve shells, small rubble, scattered detritus, and anthropogenic (human-produced) trash. As D2 transited upslope, we encountered a number of carbonate rock faces that were encrusted with benthic fauna, predominantly sponges, which were under overhangs and on non-sedimented surfaces. Towards the end of the dive, D2 encountered complicated carbonate topography with rounded outcrops, sinkholes, and large cracks. This is typical karst topography, which provides evidence that this location was once above sea level. Biological observations during this dive included a low abundance of at least 13 species of fish, few octocorals, lace corals, black corals, cup corals, a variety of sea stars, crinoids, squat lobsters, brittle stars, urchins, zooanthids, and shrimp. We also encountered several instances of trash littering the seafloor. Highlights of the dive included species that have yet to be formally described, a “walking” Chaunax pictus, and rare observations of a seastars preying upon sponges. Tuesday, April 14, 2015 08:56:00 GMT http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/explorations/ex1502/dailyupdates/media/apr12.html NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer Dive 2 of Océano Profundo investigated the apparent termination of the Septentrional Fault. Beginning at a depth of 3,673 meters, ROV Deep Discoverer (D2) landed on rippled, coarse grain sediment with shells and detritus in the troughs of the ripples. After traversing 500 meters, we reached the valley wall and began to ascend a relatively continuous 40-degree dipping slope consisting of coarse grained sediment with a few areas of rock debris. The slope was produced by debris currents flowing down the valley side depositing sediment to cover the jagged rock faces below. Towards the end of the dive (3,225 meters), we encountered a 20-meter high outcrop of conglomerate, a rock that consists of large, rounded clasts that have been cemented together. This outcrop was likely the source of much of the rock debris that we observed lower on the slope. Throughout the dive there was little visible benthic life and very few fish. The most consistent observations during the dive were of anthropogenic (human-produced) trash and decomposing algal detritus (Sargassum). Fauna observed during the dive included shrimp, anemones (some colonizing trash on the seafloor), a grenadier, a slime star, sea cucumbers, brisingid seastars, hydroids, sponges, squat lobsters, crinoids, a lizardfish, and a hermit crab with an anemone on its back. D2 was recovered from a depth of 3,148 after a final observation of the dive’s only bamboo coral. Sunday, April 12, 2015 10:40:00 GMT http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/explorations/ex1502/dailyupdates/media/apr11.html NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer The first remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dive of Océano Profundo 2015 investigated the geomorphology and potential slope failures in Guajataca Canyon along the Arecibo Amphitheater, a section of the marginal escarpment of the carbonate platform. ROV Deep Discoverer (D2) landed at a depth of 4,055 meters on a sedimented seafloor with little benthic fauna. During the dive, D2 traversed a sequence of variably sedimented carbonate and interspersed sandstone rocks. Most of the outcrops had iron manganese coatings of variable thickness, but at the beginning of the dive, there was some recent disruption of the iron manganese crust to reveal the white carbonate. Importantly, there was little evidence of recent slope failure. Biota in this area included ctenophores, brisingid sea stars, cusk eels, anemones, and a diversity of sponges, as well a few colonies of bamboo coral. As D2 climbed the escarpment, we encountered a variety of steep rock faces, with varying degrees of colonization by sponges. Fauna encountered during the second half of the dive included seastars, crinoids, sea cucumbers, swimming polychaetes, bamboo coral, sponges, ctenophores, shrimp, anemones, squat lobsters, jellyfish, and several species of rattail fishes. Saturday, April 11, 2015 11:54:00 GMT http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/explorations/ex1502/dailyupdates/media/apr10.html NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer Leg 3 of Océano Profundo began today. After a successful morning of press tours, NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer left port in San Juan, Puerto Rico, at 1400. Our team has spent the last few months prepping remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) Deep Discoverer and Seirios, testing new equipment, mapping potential dive targets, working with the science and management communities to identify priority areas, and refining our operating plans for the ROV cruise that will occur over the next month. Since boarding the ship earlier this week, our at-sea team has been busy getting familiar with the ship, conducting engineering trials, reviewing safety procedures, and preparing for upcoming operations. Our first ROV dive is planned for tomorrow and will investigate the Arecibo Amphitheater, a virtually unknown escarpment just north of San Juan. Friday, April 10, 2015 15:32:00 GMT http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/explorations/ex1502/dailyupdates/media/apr9.html