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NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration Quick Look Report

Expedition Title: \_[Gulf of Alaska Seamount Expedition
2004]{.underline}

+------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
| Results (please  | Details (please describe any novel discoveries in |
| check all        | the discipline, answers such as "possible,        |
| disciplines in   | awaiting data analysis" and "no apparent          |
| which this       | discoveries" are acceptable)                      |
| cruise collected |                                                   |
| data)            |                                                   |
+------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
| Bathymetric      | (please note total area mapped and technology     |
| Mapping          | employed, e.g. multibeam, side scan, etc.)        |
|                  |                                                   |
| X Yes  No       | Multibeam: 14081 km^2^ of seamounts + 9000 km^2^  |
|                  | of transit = 23081 km^2^ total.                   |
+------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
| New Species      | (please note number, type, and significance ,i.e. |
| Discovered       | radically new vs. slight adaptation of known      |
|                  | species)                                          |
| X Yes  No       |                                                   |
|                  | Probably 1 new species of chrysogorgid and 1-2    |
|                  | new species of paragorgid corals; siphonogorgid   |
|                  | may be new, also. Other possible new species      |
|                  | require post cruise processing.                   |
+------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
| Bio-prospecting  | (please note number, type, and potential use of   |
|                  | new compounds discovered)                         |
|  Yes X No       |                                                   |
+------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
| Habitat Range    | (please note species discovered in new habitats   |
| Extended         | and how far from previous range were they found0  |
|                  |                                                   |
| X Yes  No       | Northern range extension for Family Coralliidae;  |
|                  | previous record was Patton Seamount from 2002     |
|                  | cruise. Many species of macroinvertebrates        |
|                  | require post-cruise processing.                   |
+------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
| Chemical         | (please note new or unusual chemical properties   |
| Processes        | such as methane seeps, hypersaline pools, vents,  |
|                  | etc. observed)                                    |
|  Yes X No       |                                                   |
+------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
| Geologic         | (please note new or unusual geologic processes    |
| Processes        | that may impact scientific understanding of the   |
|                  | region)                                           |
| X Yes  No       |                                                   |
|                  | Flat-topped seamounts, sector collapses on        |
|                  | seamounts, and sea channels observed on cruise    |
|                  | may all impact interpretation of geology of the   |
|                  | area.                                             |
+------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
| Physical         | (please note new or unusual oceanographic         |
| Processes        | processes that may impact scientific              |
|                  | understanding of the region)                      |
| X Yes  No       |                                                   |
|                  | CTD measurements from a rosette and from an       |
|                  | Alvin-mounted CTD and Niskin bottles documented   |
|                  | extensive hypoxia from approximately 200 m depth  |
|                  | to the sea floor throughout the study area.       |
|                  | Oxygen content decreased to \<10% saturation on   |
|                  | all seamounts and never increased to \>35% at any |
|                  | depth on any seamount.                            |
+------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
| Sub/ROV/AUV      | (please note name, type, and cumulative hours of  |
| Dives            | bottom time for each platform / if available      |
|                  | please provide average working time per dive for  |
| X Yes  No       | each platform / please note if new depth records  |
|                  | were set)                                         |
|                  |                                                   |
|                  | A total of 76 hrs 35 minutes of bottom time was   |
|                  | expended on 17 dives in the DSV Alvin, averaging  |
|                  | 4 hrs and 32 minutes bottom time per dive. Total  |
|                  | dive time (surface launch to surface recovery)    |
|                  | was 113 hrs 42 minutes.                           |
+------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
| New Technology   | (please note any new tools developed for or       |
|                  | during this cruise, also identify first use of an |
|  Yes X No       | existing technology in a new application)         |
+------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
| Maritime         | (please note discoveries impacting knowledge of   |
| Cultural         | the past, i.e. number and type of shipwrecks)     |
| Heritage         |                                                   |
|                  |                                                   |
|  Yes X No       |                                                   |
+------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
| Outreach         | (please describe outreach channels, e.g. web,     |
|                  | port call, etc., used in this project)            |
| X Yes  No       |                                                   |
|                  | 3 Lesson Plans were developed; the cruise         |
|                  | received signature coverage on the NOAA Ocean     |
|                  | Explorer Web site; A PDI was held at the Alaska   |
|                  | Sea Life Center; 5 satellite phone calls were     |
|                  | conducted, 3 to alternative education programs,   |
|                  | and one to TIGR; a middle school science teacher  |
|                  | participated in the cruise; 14 of 31 science      |
|                  | observer seats were filled by new Alvin divers;   |
|                  | an article was published in the Providence        |
|                  | Journal Bulletin, Wednesday, August 4, after one  |
|                  | of the satellite phone calls to UCAP; a media     |
|                  | availability is planned on board the ship in      |
|                  | Astoria, OR on August 24.                         |
+------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
| Students         | (please note the number and level of students on  |
| Involved         | the expedition)                                   |
|                  |                                                   |
| X Yes  No       | 2 graduate students from Univ. of Alaska          |
|                  | Fairbanks and 3 from Oregon State Univ.; 1        |
|                  | undergraduate from WWU; additionally, 1           |
|                  | undergraduate and 2 recently graduated            |
|                  | baccalaurates worked with Dr. Baco-Taylor.        |
|                  |                                                   |
|                  | A MATE Intern, and a Dean John A. Knauss Sea      |
|                  | Grant Fellow also participated in the cruise.     |
+------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
| M                | (please identify the formal disciplines           |
| ultidisciplinary | represented in the science party)                 |
|                  |                                                   |
| X Yes  No       | Geology, marine ecology, invertebrate taxonomy,   |
|                  | microbiology, molecular biology, microbial        |
|                  | genomics.                                         |
+------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
| Exploration of   | (please note if the area of operations had been   |
| New Regions      | previously studied, if so please check no and     |
|                  | approximate as slight, moderate or significant,   |
| X Yes  No       | the level of knowledge before the cruise)         |
|                  |                                                   |
|                  | The seamount chain had not previously been        |
|                  | visited with submersible or ROV.                  |
+------------------+---------------------------------------------------+

Ocean Exploration Quick Look Report Required Elements

The Office of Ocean Exploration (OE) does not require a specific Quick
Look Report format. Reports submitted under other requirements (e.g.
Cruise Summary Report (CSR) or Fisheries-Oceanography Coordinated
Investigations (FOCI)) are acceptable. In all cases Quick Look Reports
submitted to OE should contain the following elements:

**Project title** (as listed in original proposal)-

1.  Deep Sea Corals as Habitat for Macroinvertebrates in the Gulf of
    Alaska

2.  Distribution of Deep-Sea Corals in the Gulf of Alaska

3.  Bamboo Corals (Family Isididae) in North American Waters

4.  Seamount Exploration in the Eastern Gulf of Alaska: Contrasting
    Geology, Microbiology and Bottom Characteristics

**Principal Investigator and institution** (as listed in original
proposal)

1\. Dr. Thomas C. Shirley, University of Alaska Fairbanks

2\. Drs. Amy Baco-Taylor/Tim Shank, WHOI

3\. Mr. Peter Etnoyer, Marine Conservation Biology Institute

4\. Drs. Randall Keller/Martin Fisk, Oregon State University

**Expedition title** (working name of the cruise) -- Gulf of Alaska
Seamount Expedition 2004

# Expedition dates and itinerary. 

# July 30-August 24, 2004. Departed Seattle, WA, July 30, 2004; arrived Denson Seamount 2 August; transited/arrived Dickins Seamount 4 August; transited/arrived Welker Seamount 8 August; transited/arrived Pratt Seamount 12 August; transited/arrived Giacomini Seamount 16 August; departed Giacomini Seamount 19 August; arrived Astoria, OR on 23 August 2004.

# Chief Scientist and institution -- Dr. Thomas C. Shirley, University of Alaska Fairbanks

# Co-sponsors / partners / participating organizations 

Dr. Naomi Ward, The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR)

Dr. G. P. Schmahl, Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary

Dr. Nicolas Alvarado, NOAA Science Advisory Board

Jeff Pollack, North Inlet-Winyah Bay, NERR

Aulelie Shapiro, NOS NOAA Special Projects

**Vessel Identification** (if applicable)

WHOI R/V Atlantis

# Embarked vehicles, sensors, and tools of significance

DSV Alvin, SeaBeam multibeam mapping, CTD rosette, ACDP, WHOI Elevator
(acoustically released platform for transport of cages and traps to sea
floor).

**Geographic area of operations** (identify common name such as North
West Hawaiian Islands as well as boundary coordinates for the area)

Seamounts in NE Gulf of Alaska: Denson, Dickins, Welker, Pratt,
Giacomini Seamounts.

# Summary of Cruise Objectives

Detailed multibeam mapping of seamounts (listed above); collect basalt
samples for geologic studies of age and formation of seamounts, and for
bacteria within rocks; examine distribution of coral species (including
bamboo corals) within and among seamounts, and coral biology; examine
faunal assemblages associated with corals; examine bacterial genomics
associated with corals.

**Summary of Cruise Operations** (A good summary would identify as many
of the following elements as possible for each "operation." Table
formats are ideal for this aspect of the report: data type collected /
time / position / ID tag /operation type /dive tracklines / depth
/comments)

All dives were multipurpose in nature, i.e., specimens were collected
for all projects. Initial multibeaming of a seamount on the evening of
arrival permitted selection of a dive site for the first day of seamount
exploration. Dives on subsequent days were made to 700, 2700 or 1700 m
target depths; the dive on the fourth day was selected to fill in
sampling gaps or to investigate interesting areas. In all cases the
fourth dive on all seamounts was to shallower depths (700 m or
shallowest available). Generally, dives began deeper, proceeded to the
target depth, conducted transects, then moved to shallower depths. Two
transects of either 200 or 500 m length were conducted at a depth
contour of with digital video. Rock, coral and other biota were
collected before and after transecting. Each selected coral was
photographed, had biotic assemblages collected with a multi-chambered
slurp gun or with the hydraulic manipulator arm, then had either the
entire coral (if small) collected, or a subsample placed into a numbered
biobox or jar for return to the surface. The x and y coordinates, time,
depth, temperature and collection box for each sample was retained in
digital spreadsheets. Submersible collections were augmented with a
variety of baited pots and traps dropped to submersible transect depths
by means of the 'elevator' the prior evening. The location and recovery
of the elevator was determined via acoustic telemetry. Detailed
descriptions of the collections and observations made during each dive
were submitted by scientific observers via EIS Situation Reports.
Tracklines of each dive were generated on maps produced by multibeaming.
Elevator locations and CTD cast sites were also recorded on maps.

**Milestones Achieve** (This section of the report should amplify the
information provided in the official OE cover sheet summary of results)

An estimated 43 coral species and 21 sponge species were collected and
identified from 17 dives made on 5 seamounts. A large number of coral
specimens are processed and packaged for mailing to the National Museum
of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution upon disembarkation. Faunal
assemblages on the corals included species from 12 different phyla and a
large number of lesser taxa. Many of these species represent significant
range extensions or records of undescribed species, but await
post-cruise processing for identification and clarification. Plasma and
tissue samples for genetic and physiological examination were collected
from \>120 crab specimens belonging to a number of species; tissue
samples were collected from \>130 shrimp for genetic studies. Samples of
62 coral specimens (22 bamboo, 15 paragorgid, 19 primnoid, 7 black, 23
other), 13 sponge specimens, and 36 water samples were collected for
genomic studies of bacterial communities. 58 basaltic rocks were
collected for geological studies and 4 rocks were collected for
microbiological studies. Detailed mapping of the study area resulted in
14081 km^2^ of seamounts multibeamed, plus 9000 km^2^ of seafloor mapped
while in transit, equaling 23081 km^2^ of total seafloor mapped.

# Sample log entries

**Summary of Digital Data Collected** (Identify volume in MB/GB/TB etc.
and type of data collected. Be as explicit as possible, e.g. identify
high definition video as opposed to simply video.)

87 DV Cam digital video tapes totaling 179 hours of recording were
collected; additionally, 6 mini-DV digital tapes were recorded totaling
8 hr, 45 minutes. 14.41 GB of digital external still images were
recorded on 4 DVDs.

# Summary of outreach and educational activities

Three lesson plans were developed for Grades 5-6, 7-8 and 9-12,
respectively. A NOAA Ocean Explorer Web site which includes pre-cruise
background essays, at sea logs and essays, and post cruise summaries
have been developed. A Profession Development Institute was held at the
Alaska Science Center, Seward, Alaska and interacted with scientists on
the RV Atlantis and the DSV Alvin. Five satellite phone calls were
conducted during the cruise to 4 different schools or institutes. Cary
DeLauder, a UCAP Science Teacher, joined the cruise as an Educator at
Sea. A MATE Intern participated in the cruise, assisting with multibeam
data acquisition and processing. Sea Grant Fellow Nicolas Alvarado
participated in the cruise as the OE data manager. Nine university
students, including 5 graduate students, 2 undergraduates and 2 recently
graduated baccalaurates participated in the cruise. Of the 31 seats
filled by scientists in the Alvin sub during the 17 dives of the cruise,
14 were occupied by new divers. Numerous articles have been published or
submitted. A media event is planned for Astoria, Oregon on completion of
the cruise.