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Open-File Report 2014–1018

Pubs Warehouse

### Sea-Floor Geology in Northwestern Block Island Sound, Rhode Island 

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## Bottom Photography

| Title PageList of FiguresConversion FactorsAbstractIntroductionSettingMethodsBathymetrySidescan SonarSediments**Bottom Photography**GIS Data CatalogSummaryAcknowledgmentsReferencesContactsIndexClick on figures for larger images**Figure 21.**Map showing locations of the bottom photographs taken  during U.S. Geological Survey cruise 2012-002-FA in the H12296 study area in  northern Block Island Sound.**Figure 22.**Photograph of the sea floor at station NBIS49 showing a  sandy sea floor with symmetrical oscillation ripples and scattered shell  debris.**Figure 23.** Photograph of the sea floor at station NBIS29 showing boulders covered with sponges, possible tunicates, hydrozoans, and algae. 
Several photographs and a few minutes of video of the sea  floor were collected at each sampling station (fig. 21). This still and video photography  shows that most sandy stations have ripples with scattered shells and shell  hash, and coarser material often collects in the ripple troughs (fig. 22). Snails  and crabs are often present in sandy locations. Gravelly and boulder areas  often have algae and sponges and (or) tunicates growing on boulders, and fin  fish are often present (fig. 23).

 Low-resolution images (150 x 113 pixels) of the  photographs can be viewed by browsing the thumbnails in the photograph gallery  below. These thumbnails are linked to medium-resolution images (600 x 450  pixels) for more detailed viewing. A .zip file with all the medium-resolution  images can be accessed by clicking here. The .zip file contains  metadata about the photographs and their acquisition. A .zip file containing  the full-resolution images (3648 x 2736 pixels) and metatdata can be accessed  by clicking here. The images  can be identified by using the .jpg image names in the galleries below. Individuals  interested in obtaining video photography collected in this area can do so at  the Data Library of the USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center,  Woods Hole, Mass.
Photograph Gallery Station  /   Lithologic Description
NBIS25 / Gravel,  boulders, and rippled sand with coarse material in the troughs. Boulders are  overgrown with algae. Scattered shell hash, kelp, sponges and (or) tunicates, fin  fish, skate, and starfish are present. 
                                NBIS25a        NBIS25b                                NBIS25c NBIS25d                                NBIS25e                                NBIS25f                            
 
 
 

NBIS26 / Gravel  with patches of sand and scattered shell hash. Rippled sea floor with coarser  gravel in the troughs and finer gravel on the crests. Coarser gravel and  cobbles are encrusted with barnacles and algae. 
          NBIS26a        NBIS26b          NBIS26c 
 
          NBIS26d          NBIS26e
 
 
 

NBIS27 / Rippled  sand and gravel with scattered shells and shell hash and coarse material in the  troughs. Moon snail egg cases are present and ctenophores were observed in the  water column. 
                                NBIS27a        NBIS27b                                NBIS27c NBIS27d                                NBIS27e                                NBIS27f
 
 
 

NBIS28 /  Boulders and gravel with intervening patches of sand and scattered shells and  shell hash. Boulders and cobbles are covered with algae and sponges and (or)  tunicates. Kelp, fin fish, starfish, skate, and skate egg cases are present. 
                                NBIS28a        NBIS28b                                NBIS28c NBIS28d                                NBIS28e                                NBIS28f                            
 
NBIS28g
 

NBIS29 /  Boulders, gravel, and intervening patches of sand with scattered shells and  shell hash. Boulders and cobbles are covered with algae, hydroids, and sponges and  (or) tunicates. Anemones,  kelp, fin fish, skate egg cases, ctenophores, and  starfish are present. 
                                NBIS29a        NBIS29b                                NBIS29c NBIS29d                                NBIS29e                                NBIS29f
 
NBIS29g
 

NBIS30 / Hummocky  sand with burrows, animal tracks, snails, and scattered shell hash. 
                                NBIS30a        NBIS30b                                NBIS30c                                 NBIS30d 
  

NBIS31 /  Boulders with intervening patches of sand. Boulders are covered with algae, hydrozoans,  and sponges and (or) tunicates. Fin fish and kelp are present.
                                NBIS31a        NBIS31b                                NBIS31c NBIS31d
 

NBIS32 / Sand  with scattered shells and shell hash. Hermit crabs and ctenophores are present. 
                                NBIS32a        NBIS32b                                NBIS32c                            
 

 
NBIS32d 
NBIS33 / Sand  with scattered shells and shell hash. Crabs, animal tracks, and small burrows  are present. 
          NBIS33a        NBIS33b          NBIS33c 
 
          NBIS33d          NBIS33e
 
 
 

NBIS34 / Sand  with scattered shells and shell hash. Moon snail egg case and crabs are present. 
                                NBIS34a        NBIS34b                                NBIS34c NBIS34d                                NBIS34e        NBIS34f                                NBIS34g 
 

 

NBIS35 / Rippled  sand with scattered shells and shell hash. Hermit crabs are present. 
                                NBIS35a        NBIS35b                                NBIS35c NBIS35d
 

NBIS36/ Rippled  sand and gravel with abundant shells, shell hash, and floating algae. Coarser  material collects in ripple troughs. Several cobbles are present at the end of  the transect. 
                                NBIS36a        NBIS36bNBIS36c                                 NBIS36d          NBIS36e
 

 
 
NBIS37 / Rippled  sand with scattered shells and shell hash. Animal tracks, skate egg case, and hermit  crabs are present. 
                                NBIS37a        NBIS37b                                NBIS37c 
 
                                NBIS37d          NBIS37e
 
 
 

NBIS38 / Rippled  sand with sparsely scattered shells, shell hash, and floating algae. 
                                NBIS38a        NBIS38b                                NBIS38c 
 
 
NBIS39 / Patches  of sand and gravel, and boulders covered with algae. Kelp, snails, and sponges and  (or) tunicates are present.
                                NBIS39a        NBIS39b                                NBIS39c NBIS39d                                NBIS39e                                NBIS39f
 
 
 

NBIS40 / Rippled  sand and pea gravel with scattered shells and shell hash. Coarser material  collects in the ripple troughs. 
                                NBIS40a        NBIS40b                                NBIS40c                                  NBIS40d                                NBIS40e
 
 
 

NBIS41 / Sand  and pea gravel with scattered shells and shell hash. 
                                NBIS41a        NBIS41b                                NBIS41c                                 NBIS41d
 

NBIS42 / Boulders,  gravel, and patches of sand with abundant shells and shell hash. Boulders  covered with algae and sponges and (or) tunicates. 
                                NBIS42a        NBIS42b                                NBIS42c NBIS42d                                NBIS42e                                  NBIS42f
 
  
NBIS43 / Rippled  sand with scattered shells and shell hash.
                                NBIS43a        NBIS43b                                NBIS43c 
 
                                NBIS43d          NBIS43e
 
 
 

NBIS44 / Rippled  sand with scattered shells and shell hash.
                                NBIS44a        NBIS44b                                NBIS44c         NBIS44d
 

NBIS45 / Rippled sand with abundant shell hash and scattered  shells. 
                                NBIS45a        NBIS45b                                NBIS45c NBIS45d
 

NBIS46 / Sand  with animal tracks and burrows. 
                                NBIS46a        NBIS46bNBIS46c
 
NBIS46d
NBIS47 / Sand  with animal tracks, hermit crabs, floating algae, scattered shells, and shell  hash.
                                NBIS47a        NBIS47b                                NBIS47c                                 NBIS47d
 

NBIS48 / Sand  with animal tracks, fine algae, scattered shells, and shell hash. 
                                NBIS48a        NBIS48b                                NBIS48c                                 NBIS48d
 

NBIS49 / Rippled  sand with scattered shell hash.
                                NBIS49a        NBIS49b                                NBIS49c                                 NBIS49d
 

NBIS50 / Rippled  sand with shells and gravel in ripple troughs. 
NBIS50a        NBIS50b                                NBIS50c                                  NBIS50d                                NBIS50e                            
 
 
 

NBIS51 / Rippled  sand and gravel with abundant shells, shell hash, and pea gravel in ripple  troughs. 
NBIS51a        NBIS51b                                NBIS51c                                  NBIS51d                                NBIS51e                            
 
 
 

NBIS52 / Rippled  sand with floating algae and scattered shell hash. 
NBIS52a        NBIS52b                                NBIS52c                                  NBIS52d                                NBIS52e                            
 
 
 

NBIS53 /  Boulders and gravel encrusted with algae, hydroids, and sponges and (or)  tunicates. Fin fish and kelp are present.
NBIS53a        NBIS53b                                NBIS53c NBIS53dNBIS53e NBIS53f 
 

NBIS54 / Sand  and gravel with a few cobbles, scattered shells, and shell hash. Crabs, moon  snail, and moon-snail egg case are present. 
NBIS54a        NBIS54b                                NBIS54c                                  NBIS54d                                NBIS54e                            
 
 
 

NBIS55 / Sand  with abundant scattered shells and shell hash. Crabs and snails are present.
NBIS55a        NBIS55b                                NBIS55c                                  NBIS55d                                NBIS55e                            
 
 
 

NBIS56 / Rippled  sand with floating algae, scattered shells, and shell hash. 
NBIS56a        NBIS56b                                NBIS56c                                  NBIS56d                                NBIS56e                            
 
 
 

NBIS57 / Rippled  sand with gravel in ripple troughs and scattered shells and shell hash.
NBIS57a        NBIS57b                                NBIS57c         NBIS57d
 

NBIS58 / Rippled  sand with scattered shell hash and floating algae. 
NBIS58a        NBIS58b                                NBIS58c                                  NBIS58d                                NBIS58e                            
 
 
 

NBIS59 / Rippled  sand with gravel, shells, and shell hash collecting in the troughs. Crabs are  present. 
NBIS59a        NBIS59b                                NBIS59c 
 
 
NBIS60 / Rippled  sand with scattered shell hash. 
NBIS60a        NBIS60b                                NBIS60c                                 NBIS60d
 

NBIS61 / Rippled  sand with scattered shells and shell hash. A horseshoe crab is present. 
NBIS61a        NBIS61b                                NBIS61c                                  NBIS61d                                NBIS61e                            
 
 
 

NBIS62 / Gravel  and boulders encrusted with algae, hydroids, and sponges and (or) tunicates. Kelp,  moon snail egg case, and crabs are present. 
NBIS62a        NBIS62b                                NBIS62c NBIS62d                                NBIS62e                                NBIS62f                            
 
 
 

NBIS63 / Rippled  sand with spider crabs and skate present.
NBIS63a        NBIS63b                                NBIS63c                                 NBIS63d
 

NBIS64 / Rippled  sand with scattered shell hash. Snails and crabs are present. 
NBIS64a        NBIS64b                                NBIS64c                                  NBIS64d                                NBIS64e                            
 
 
 

NBIS65 / Mussel beds,  boulders, gravel, and rippled sand with scattered shells and shell hash  collecting in troughs.  Boulders are  covered with algae and sponges and (or) tunicates. Kelp, fin fish, and  skate are present. 
NBIS65a        NBIS65b                                NBIS65c NBIS65d                                NBIS65e                                NBIS65f                            
 
NBIS65gNBIS65h
NBIS67 / Rippled  sand and gravel with abundant scattered shells and shell hash. Skate, moon snails,  and moon snail egg cases are present. 
NBIS67a        NBIS67b                                NBIS67c                                  NBIS67d                                NBIS67e                            
 
 
 

NBIS69 /  Boulders with intervening patches of sand and gravel. Boulders are covered with  algae and sponges and (or) tunicates. Kelp is present.
NBIS69a        NBIS69b                                NBIS69c NBIS69d                                NBIS69e                                NBIS69f                            
 
 
 

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U.S. Department of the Interior |            U.S. Geological Survey                                                URL: http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2014/1018/html/photo.html            Page Contact Information: GS Pubs Web Contact                        Page Last Modified: Friday, February 21, 2014, 12:27:41 PM |
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