EK80 Water Column Sonar Data Collected During PC2102

Between 30 May - 12 June 2021, we will conduct Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) and multibeam sonar surveys inside and outside six marine protected areas (MPAs) as well as inside and outside the Oculina Experimental Closed Area (OECA) in the south Atlantic to assess the efficacy of this management tool to protect species of the snapper grouper complex and Oculina coral.  We will also investigate two additional spots of interest: Devilâs Hole Spawning Management Zone and Cape Lookout.
The cruise is planned for the continental shelf edge of the South Atlantic Bight between Port Canaveral, FL and Cape Lookout, NC. We will be working in and around the following six MPAs, Oculina Experimental Closed Area, and two additional areas of interest (Figure 1): 

Florida MPA: Northwest corner at 30Â°29' N, 80Â°14' W; northeast corner at 30Â°29' N, 80Â°2' W; southwest corner at 30Â°19' N, 80Â°14' W; and southeast corner at 30Â°19' N, 80Â°2' W. 
 
Georgia MPA:  Northwest corner at 31Â°43' N, 79Â°31' W; northeast corner at 31Â°43' N, 79Â°21' W; southwest corner at 31Â°34' N, 79Â°39' W; and southeast corner at 31Â°34' N, 79Â°29' W.  

Edisto MPA:  Northwest corner at 32Â°24' N, 79Â°6' W; northeast corner at 32Â°24' N, 78Â°54' W, southwest corner at 32Â°18.5' N, 79Â°6' W and southeast corner at 32Â°18.5' N, 78Â°54' W. 

Charleston Deep Artificial Reef MPA: Northwest corner at 32Â°04' N, 79Â°12'W; northeast corner at 32Â°8.5'N, 79Â°7.75'W; southwest corner at 32Â°1.5'N, 79Â°9.3'W; and southeast corner at 32Â°6'N, 79Â°5'W.

South Carolina MPA:  Northwest corner at 32Â°53.5' N, 78Â°16.75' W; northeast corner at 32Â°53.5' N, 78Â°4.75' W; southwest corner at 32Â°48.5' N, 78Â°16.75' W; and southeast corner at 32Â°48.5' N, 78Â°4.75' W.  

Snowy Wreck MPA: Northwest corner at 33Â°25' N, 77Â°4.75' W; northeast corner at 33Â°34.75' N, 76Â°51.3' W; southwest corner at 33Â°15.75' N, 77Â°0' W; and southeast corner at 33Â°25.5' N, 76Â°46.5' W.

Oculina Experimental Closed Area: Northern boundary at 27â° 53âN, Southern boundary at 27â° 30âN, Eastern boundary at 79â° 56âW, Western boundary at 80â°W.

Devilâs Hole Spawning Management Zone: Northwest corner at 32Âº 34.311â N, 78Âº 34.996â W; northeast corner at 32Âº 34.311â N, 78Âº 33.220â W; southwest corner at 32Âº 32.748â N, 78Âº 34.996â W; and southeast corner at 32Âº 32.748â N, 78Âº 33.220â W.

Cape Lookout Site: Northwest corner at 34Âº 4.186â N, 76Âº 17.188â W; northeast corner at 33Âº 59.243â N, 76Âº 12.991â W; southwest corner at 33Âº 50.02â N, 76Âº 34.922â W; southeast corner at 33Âº 44.785â N, 76Âº 30.526â W.

The goal of the cruise is to gather additional data on habitat and fish assemblages in six of the South Atlantic MPAs and OECA as part of a long term sampling program to document changes in these areas before and after fishing restrictions are implemented.  The southernmost boundary of our work areas will be Port Canaveral, FL while the northernmost boundary will be Cape Lookout, NC. Efficacy testing of this management tool will aid fishery managers in future use of area restrictions for the protection of valuable habitat and fishery resources.  Specific objectives include:
Daytime Operation: Conduct ROV transect surveys of habitat and fish assemblages and collections of corals and sponges during daylight hours.
Night Operation: Conduct multibeam mapping to find areas to dive on with the ROV the following day. 
Night Operation: Conduct total water column CTD profiles and XBT casts to collect sound velocity data for the mapping

Tags: acoustic scattering, acoustic sounders, aquatic ecosystems, aquatic sciences, bathymetry, bathymetry/seafloor topography, benthic, biosphere, doc/noaa/nesdis/ncei, doc/noaa/nesdis/ngdc, earth science, ecosystems, fisheries, in situ/laboratory instruments, marine ecosystems, national centers for environmental information, national geophysical data center, nesdis, noaa, ocean acoustics, oceans, pelagic, profilers/sounders, seafloor topography, south atlantic ocean, u.s. department of commerce, vertical location, water column, water column mapping system, wcms
Organization: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce