Expedition Report: 2017 Southeast Deep Coral Initiative (SEDCI) expedition aboard NOAA Ship Nancy Foster (NF-17-08: August 12-31, 2017)

On August 12-31, 2017 the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) led a research expedition aboard NOAA Ship Nancy Foster supported by NOAA’s Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program (DSCRTP) through the Southeast Deep Coral Initiative (SEDCI). The purpose of the NF-17-08 expedition was to survey, map and sample deep-sea coral ecosystems in federal waters of the eastern Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Bight, focusing on priority areas identified by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (GMFMC) and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC). The expedition included a total of 13 ROV dives to depths of 345-710 m on the West Florida Slope, which collectively surveyed 13 km of seafloor during 51 hours of bottom time. Additionally, 53 biological samples were collected during ROV dives, which will support future studies on population connectivity, taxonomy, age, and reproduction. Furthermore, the expedition included 19 CTD casts to collect environmental data and water samples for future studies on seawater carbonate chemistry, multibeam mapping of over 2,750 km2 of seafloor, and several water column acoustic surveys conducted over a total linear distance of over 276 km.