SW Florida Escarpment Mapping Area

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1 Overview NOAA s Okeanos Explorer (EX) Program plans to conduct systematic mapping and telepresence-enabled ROV explorations in the Gulf of Mexico during Spring In 2011, the EX conducted mapping operations in the region acquiring significant baseline information in deeper waters including the continental escarpment. Most of the Gulf of Mexico priority exploration areas within the U.S. EEZ identified during the 2011 Atlantic Basin Workshop were addressed during the EX 2012 field season. But more remains to be mapped and explored. In order to identify priority exploration areas and data needs of highest priority to NOAA and the ocean science community for the 2014 Field Season and beyond, the EX program queried NOAA Programs, Offices and Labs, related management councils, and revisited the results of the Atlantic Basin Workshop for input on priority areas for exploration that could be addressed with Okeanos Explorer s core capabilities. OER and EX Senior Science and Program Advisors reviewed the input and identified operating areas for each cruise based on the aforementioned sources, gaps in contemporary, high resolution mapping data, and areas identified by OER that will support future partnerships and operations. Multiple groups expressed interest in baseline mapping data off the southwest Florida escarpment, and deep water areas in the Northwest Gulf of Mexico south and southeast of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Maps of priority mapping areas for the first two cruises and a summary of input driving exploration of these areas follow. For more information, contact Kelley.Elliott@noaa.gov. FGBNMS & HAPCs NW Gulf of Mexico Mapping Areas SW Florida Escarpment Mapping Area HAPC Map of the Gulf of Mexico showing priority mapping areas (white polygons) for legs 1 and 2 of the 2014 Okeanos Explorer Gulf of Mexico Expedition. Red boxes off the southeast US coast are requested mapping areas we will conduct mapping transit operations overtop of during our transit to the Gulf of Mexico. The black boxes are the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) and grey boxes are Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPC). Bathymetry shown are areas previously mapped by Okeanos Explorer. The green line is the Exclusive Economic Zone.

2 Schedule EX1402 Leg 1 (Feb 24 Mar 15): North Kingstown, RI to Galveston, TX. During transit southward to the Gulf of Mexico along the Atlantic continental slope, map areas of previous multibeam coverage with poor original backscatter data and locations where seeps were previously confirmed during ROV dives or seeps are suspected based on previous sonar data to assess ephemerality. During transit offshore Florida and in the Florida Straits, conduct transit mapping operations over community requested targets. In the Gulf of Mexico, conduct focused mapping operations at the Southwest Florida Escarpment, and if time allows commence mapping in the Northwest Gulf of Mexico. EX1402 Leg 2 (Mar 19 Apr 4): Galveston, TX to Pascagoula, MS. Conduct focused mapping operations in the Northwest Gulf of Mexico. If time allows, collect underway mapping data along the shelf/slope break and over community-requested targets during transit to Pascagoula. Southeast U.S Transit Line Close-up map showing southeast US mapping requests where EX will collect underway mapping data during transit to the Gulf of Mexico. The red boxes are priority mapping areas requested by other NOAA offices and the South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council. The white polygons are marine-protected areas and Habitat Areas of Particular Concern. The green line is the Exclusive Economic Zone. The NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer systematically explores the ocean every day of every cruise to maximize public benefit from the ship s unique capabilities. During cruise planning, transits are optimized to enable mapping of unexplored or unmapped regions. OER reviews input received from ocean science and management communities to identify unexplored regions for consideration of being included in the ship s expeditions. NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program, 2014 Gulf of Mexico Expedition, Mapping Priorities 2

3 Requests for information on priority exploration areas for 2014 mapping and ROV exploration in the Gulf of Mexico resulted in significant input on priority mapping areas off the U.S. East Coast, especially in the deep water Marine Protected Areas in the South Atlantic off the east coast of Florida. OER plans to conduct transit mapping operations over a number of identified targets off the southeast U.S. coast en route to the Gulf of Mexico (see map above). More requests for mapping and surveys of opportunity along the US east coast margin were received that it was possible to accommodate. There may, however, be opportunities to respond to some of these requests during the ship s return transit to North Kingston, RI in May. Southwest Florida Escarpment 250m 100m 50m Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Close-up map showing the mapping area for the Southwest Florida Escarpment. The white polygon is our planned mapping area. The white box north of the polygon is the Pulley Ridge Habitat Area of Particular Concern. The black polygons show the boundaries of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Bathymetry shown are areas previously mapped by Okeanos Explorer. The green line is the Exclusive Economic Zone. The NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center, the NMFS Office of Habitat Conservation/Deep Sea Coral Research & Technology Program, the NOS National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science and the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council recommended mapping the southwest Florida escarpment. Interests in this area include the need for baseline bathymetric characterization to support future exploration; the area s proximity to marine protected areas; a high probability that the area includes deep-sea coral habitat; susceptibility of the area to damage by commercial fishing; and characterization of suspected sperm whale habitat. NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program, 2014 Gulf of Mexico Expedition, Mapping Priorities 3

4 Southwest Florida Escarpment (SFE) Priorities Southeast Fisheries Science Center and NMFS Southeast Regional Office: Addresses requests to map areas to provide baseline data and help in locating potential deep coral habitat. Mapping this area also addresses SEFSC interest in characterization of sperm whale calving habitat. Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council: An area of the SFE was the Council s third recommended priority for mapping and ROV operations. Most of the research that led to the development of the existing HAPC focused on shallow water corals. Although model predictions and other anecdotal evidence suggest the likelihood of deep water coral in this area, efforts to confirm its presence have been inconclusive. Documentation of the presence of deep water coral and fish species is also a priority for ROV exploration - these areas are likely candidates for development of coral protection measures in the coming year. Information provided by this cruise will occur in a time frame relevant for management consideration. NMFS Office of Habitat Conservation/Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program and NOS NCCOS: This area is the highest priority for mapping because the area was identified as a priority for mapping by the SEFSC, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, and NOAA NCCOS. The area also includes a portion of a priority area for mapping identified by CIOERT. The depth range between approximately 400 to 800 m hold the highest probability for deep-sea coral habitat based on an NCCOS model. The area is largely unmapped. This area is also identified as the highest priority for ROV exploration. NOS National Center for Coastal Ocean Science, CCMA Biogeography Branch: The Eastern region of the Gulf of Mexico is the highest priority for exploration to determine the presence of coral habitat hotspots and is much less explored than the Central region, especially at deeper depths. Due to its different geomorphology, the Eastern region represents a unique and poorly understood region of potential deep sea coral habitat and therefore has the highest potential to include unique habitats, taxa, and communities not found elsewhere in the adjacent Gulf to the northwest or the Straits of Florida. Ecologically, it is a key region for understanding connectivity between deep coral populations in the Straits of Florida and those in the Central and Western Gulf. This southwest area in particular represents a key transition area between the Straits of Florida and the W. Florida Shelf/Escarpment system. Past surveys in this general area have focused almost exclusively on shallower depths ( m). It is also an area of high potential overlap with several active/developing fisheries. The area is susceptible to anthropogenic damage from petroleum extraction accidents associated with the extensive hydrocarbon extraction operations in the north-central Gulf. The Loop Current is likely to transport oil, drilling chemicals and/or chemical dispersants used to counter oil spills along the edge of the continental slope off western Florida. NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program, 2014 Gulf of Mexico Expedition, Mapping Priorities 4

5 Northwest Gulf of Mexico 50m 100m Close-up map showing the mapping area for the Northwest Gulf of Mexico. The white polygons are our planned mapping area. The black boxes are the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and grey boxes are Habitat Areas of Particular Concern. Bathymetry shown are areas previously mapped by Okeanos Explorer, or as part of the UNCLOS Extended Continental Shelf Initiative (Sigsbee Escarpment data courtesy UNH CCOM). The green line is the Exclusive Economic Zone. Interest in deepwater areas in the Northwest Gulf of Mexico was expressed by the NOS Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, the NMFS Office of Habitat Conservation/Deep Sea Coral Research & Technology Program, the NOS National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, and the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council. Specific interests include baseline characterization to support future exploration; ecological connections to habitats at the banks and in deeper waters; proximity to Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and many existing Habitat Areas of Particular Concern; and areas with a high probability of deep-sea coral habitat. Northwest Gulf of Mexico Priorities Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS): Both Northwest Gulf mapping boxes include priority mapping areas. The FGBNMS objective is to map unexplored seafloor features south of the Flower Garden Banks NMS and south of shelf edge reefs and banks to obtain details of biological habitats that may have ecological connections to habitats in shallower water at the shelf edge. Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council: The Northwest Gulf box is the FMCs second priority for mapping operations. The Council is particularly interested in this area because of the high likelihood of presence of deep coral as well as its proximity to the FGBNMS and numerous existing HAPCs. The FGBNMS has resources to leverage the mapping data by conducting follow-on midwater ROV surveys. NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program, 2014 Gulf of Mexico Expedition, Mapping Priorities 5

6 NMFS Office of Habitat Conservation/Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program and NOS NCCOS: Identified an area of the Northwest Gulf of Mexico encompassed by the EX mapping boxes as their fourth highest priority for mapping. This general area is less explored than the Central northern Gulf. It has complex bathymetry and contains some areas that have a high likelihood of deep coral habitat. There are a few areas that are unmapped and are likely other areas, particularly around high-probability coral targets that would benefit from finer-scale multibeam mapping by the EX. This area was identified as a priority for the GMFMC and FGBNMS. NOS National Center for Coastal Ocean Science: The western Gulf of Mexico is the second least explored region in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, and receives less attention than the Central Region. Major portions of the western Gulf lack high resolution, publically accessible bathymetry. NCCOS s deep coral models suggest a large number of potential deep coral localities. Evaluation of these targets would be very useful for validation of the models. In addition, the area represents the extreme western edge of the distributions for some coral taxa in the Atlantic. It is both interesting and useful to have an ecological perspective that documents the limits of the distribution of deep coral habitats in US waters. OER and the Okeanos Explorer Program have interests in both mapping and deep water ROV operations in the Northwest Gulf of Mexico to support FY15 operations and potential future partnerships. NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program, 2014 Gulf of Mexico Expedition, Mapping Priorities 6