Life on the Edge 2004:
Exploring Deep Ocean Habitats

Dr. Steve W. Ross, UNC-W
Dr. Ken Sulak, USGS
Dr. Martha Nizinski, NMFS
Liz Baird, NC Museum of Natural Sciences

Partial support for this mission was provided by NOAA

These images represent the hardwork of the Principal Investigators listed above.
Please be sure to credit the scientists work when using these images.

click images to enlarge

ADAPTING TOOLS – George Yeargin, a master biotechnician for Ken J. Sulak at USGS, fashions a new type of trap to be deployed from the JSL. Any squat lobster or crab specimens collected will be examined by scientists at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Photo by: Art Howard, NAPRO Communications (Life on the Edge 2004)

DEAD LOPHELIA – Several of the areas visited by scientists on Life on the Edge 2004, found large areas of dead Lophelia corals. Scientists cannot be sure what caused the corals to die. Photo by: Ken Sulak, USGS (Life on the Edge 2004)

DEPLOYING NETS – In order to maximize the amount of information collected during the research cruise, scientists participating in the Life on the Edge 2004 mission used a variety of nets and traps in addition to the JSL submersible. Photo by – Liz Baird, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (Life on the Edge 2004)

DIPNETTING – Small patches of sargassum floating at the surface are often home to a large diversity of marine animals. Andrea Quattrini, a technician with Steve W. Ross at UNC-Wilmington, passes time between submersible dives by collecting sargassum for later analysis. Photo by: Art Howard, NAPRO Communications (Life on the Edge 2004)

EXAMINING SAMPLES – Martha Nizinski, a scientist from the NMFS Systematics Laboratory, closely examines a piece of Lophelia. She hopes to learn more about the types of marine organisms that live in and around the deep-sea corals. Photo by: Art Howard, NAPRO Communications (Life on the Edge 2004)

FISH AND LOPHELIA - Beryx decadactylus (alfonsino) hovering around a large Lophelia coral.  Many fishes use the deep coral habitat in a similar way as fishes in shallow coral systems, and this is a major focus of our research.  Photo by: Ken Sulak, USGS (Life on the Edge 2004)

JSL AND CORAL - The 4-person Johnson Sea-Link (JSL) submersible is equipped with a variety of tools that scientists use to collect samples from the ocean depths. Photo by: Art Howard, NAPRO Communications (Life on the Edge 2004)

JSL DEPLOYMENT – The Johnson Sea-Link (JSL) submersible is typically launched two times per day from the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution's R/V Seward Johnson. Photo by – Liz Baird, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (Life on the Edge 2004)

LIVE LOPHELIA – Deep-sea corals form important habitats for unique and diverse array of marine life. Live bushes of the deep-sea coral, Lophelia, may act like island oases in the deep sea. Photo by: Ken Sulak, USGS (Life on the Edge 2004)

LOPHELIA – This small chunk of Lophelia coral lives in almost utter darkness hundreds of feet below the sea surface. Lophelia has been found to grow in massive "thickets" is some areas off the coast of North Carolina. Photo by: Art Howard, NAPRO Communications (Life on the Edge 2004)

SHELF EDGE FISHES – This group of anthiinine fishes (members of the sea bass family) are a dominant feature of the productive, southeastern US, shelf edge reef systems in 70-180 m depths.  This is prime habitat for the economically valuable snapper-grouper-porgy complex. Tropical/sub-tropical fishes and invertebrates dominate this diverse community.

SQUAT LOBSTER ON LOPHELIA – The Life on the Edge 2004 mission has collected a diverse array of invertebrate life around deep-sea corals. Squat lobsters are just one of the many types of organisms that use deep-sea corals for shelter. Photo by: Ken Sulak, USGS (Life on the Edge 2004)

SUB RETRIEVAL – Safety is number one. The JSL sub crew from the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution makes every effort to ensure that each and every submersible dive is safe and successful. Photo by – Jeremy Potter, NOAA (Life on the Edge 2004)

In Cooperation with:

NOAA Ocean Exploration: www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/04edge/welcome.html

North Carolina State Museum of Science: www.naturalsciences.org/education/deepsea/index.html

For Additional Information Please Contact:
Steve. W. Ross
UNC-W
5600 Marvin Moss Lane
Wilmington, NC 28049
Phone: 910-395-3905
Email: rosss@uncw.edu