Life on the Edge - 2003

Located off the Carolinas are unique and productive deep-water habitats (100 to 1,000 m) that are largely unstudied. These areas are the transition zone between the continental shelf and the true deep sea. Two of these habitats, outer shelf hard grounds and midslope deep coral (Lophelia) banks, are the focus of this expedition. Throughout most of the study area, these habitats are separated by no more than a few kilometers. Despite some physical similarities, however, they seem to be vastly different both in community structure and sea-life interaction. Thus, these reef habitats present a unique opportunity to compare and contrast closely associated ecosystems.

Ocean Explorer/ Explorations website:
http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/03edge/welcome.html

Individual updates and logs with CEC personnel involved:

• August 16, 2003 - Mobilization: What is it exactly?
• August 17, 2003 - To the Abyss and Back (Allen Brooks)
• August 18, 2003 - The Search for Snowy Wreck (Ken Sulak)
• August 19, 2003 - Invertebrate Fauna on the Outer Shelf and Lophelia Banks
• August 20, 2003 - Planning on the Fly
• August 21, 2003 - What's for Dinner? (Jim Berg)
• August 22, 2003 - Filming Science at Sea
• August 23, 2003 - As Close to a Fish as I'll Ever Be ....
• August 24, 2003 - Mid-Water Communities and Sampling
• August 25, 2003 - Loads to Learn about Flyingfishes in the Waters off North Carolina
• August 26, 2003 - After the Mission: What Happens to the Collections After the Cruise
• August 27, 2003 - The Stars of the Sea: Echinoderms

Islands in the Steam - 2002