Marine Institute
SeaRover Dive Video

D467 Transect 22 Holothurians and echinoids, carbonate with stalked crinoids and chrysogorgiids, mud and sea pens with Democrinus || Upper slope Democrinus, Acanella and Radicipes cf. gracilis. Features of Interest: canyon, escarpments Water Depth: 2322-1873 m

Highlights: Plastic litter Stalked crinoids Sea pens ROV collects sea pen Cerianthid anemone ROV collects bamboo coral

The substrate of the canyon floor is soft with carbonate substrate on the slope. At 2200 m the slope is steep and terraced and appears to be carbonate sediment with a thin veneer of sediment. Below 2230 m the fauna consists of holothurians and the echinoid Echinus sp., above this as the ground becomes harder, fine stalked crinoids and ophiuroids are the dominant species. At 2225 m in soft substrate fine stalked crinoids continue to be plentiful, along with sea pens and ophiuroids. On the upper slopes the soft coral Anthomastus grandiflorus and a variety of anemones including cerianthids and hormathiid anemones occur.

START VIDEO [00:00:00]/01:55 [1] The transect starts on mud with holothurians (Peniagone sp.) and echinoids (white Echinidae sp. , OTU559). [00:01:00] ROV moving right. [00:03:00] ROV moving forward. 5-6:00 Stopped for imagery at a barely visible carbonate ledge with plastic attached. [00:25:00] [2] areas of protruding carbonate terraced with heavy mud veneer. Stalked crinoids dominate the hard substrate while Peniagone sp . continues on the mud. [00:41:00]-[00:42:00] stop for imagery. [00:45:00] [3] mud with Democrinus sp . stalked crinoids and Ophiomusa lymani, sparse pebbles also present. [00:51:00] [4] mud upslope continues with Democrinus sp. , but now seapens become abundant (especially cf. Anthoptilum sp .). [01:08:00]-[01:19:00] ROV zigzags left/forward several times. [01:21:00]-[01:36:00] stopped for sampling sea pen and pushcores. [01:44:00] scattered cobbles and pebbles, some Chrysogorgiidae sp . also present. [01:48:00] stopped to sample Chrysogorgiidae sp until END VIDEO 03:49. Blue water transit uphill.

START VIDEO [01:54:00] [5] Similar to the prior assemblage, with continued upslope mud and scattered cobbles dominated by Democrinus sp. stalked crinoids. Now sea pens are sparse and Acanella arbuscula is more abundant with patchy and sometimes abundant Radicipes cf. gracilis whip corals. [02:01:00] ROV moving left/diagonally left, [02:03:00] ROV moving forward. [02:20:00]-[02:26:00] stop to sample Radicipes cf. gracilis. Continue forward until END VIDEO B [02:42:00]/05:29.

Progression Start Duration Code Name
1[00:00:00]00:25:23M.AtUA.Mu.HolComHolothurian dominated community on Atlantic upper abyssal mud
5[00:00:00]00:48:45M.AtMB.Mu.CriComCrinoid dominated community on Atlantic mid bathyal mud
2[00:25:24]00:19:47M.AtUA.RoAtlantic upper abyssal rock and other hard substrata
3[00:45:12]00:06:22M.AtMB.Mu.CriComCrinoid dominated community on Atlantic mid bathyal mud
4[00:51:35]01:03:07M.AtMB.Mu.CriComCrinoid dominated community on Atlantic mid bathyal mud

Porifera
Asconema sp. (Porifera massive globose 14) : 650 : R
Porifera encrusting sp. 10 (yellow) : 30 : R
Porifera lamellate lobose (fleshy) : 1132 : R
Porifera lamellate sp. 10 : 1010 : R
Cnidaria
Cerianthidae sp. 1 : 2 : R
Actiniaria sp. 18 : 582 : R
Actiniaria sp. 20 : 605 : R
cf. Halcampoididae sp. : 984 : R
Actinernus michaelsarsi : 554 : R
Adamsia sp. : 1066 : R
Phelliactis sp. 1 : 255 : O
Bathypathes sp. 1 : 328 : R
Stauropathes arctica : 547 : O
Caryophyllia sp. 2 : 6 : R
Flabellum sp. : 1056 : O
Anthomastus grandiflorus : 278 : R
Radicipes cf. gracilis : 1044 : F
Chrysogorgidae sp. 1 : 1008 : R
Acanella arbuscula : 585 : F
Paramuricea sp. : 1050 : R
Anthoptilum sp. : 1107 : F
Halipteris cf. finmarchica : 622 : R
Pennatula cf. inflata : 1083 : O
Umbellula sp. : 581 : R
Branchiocerianthus norvegicus : 1069 : R

Scyphozoa (indet.) : 1134 : R
Arthropoda
Neolithodes grimaldii : 1063 : R
Munida tenuimana : 339 : R
Galacantha sp. : 1144 : R
Paguridae sp. : 205 : R
Munnopsidae sp. : 1102 : R
Mysida (indet) : 1026 : R
Colossendeis sp. 1 : 1059 : O
Mollusca
Colus sp. : 113 : R
Brachiopoda
Brachiopoda sp. 1 : 34 : R
Echinodermata
Bathycrinidae sp. : 1141 : F
Bathycrinidae sp. 1 : 1041 : O
Bathycrinidae sp. 2 cf. Porphyrocrinus thalassae : 1045 : O
Democrinus sp. : 1103 : F
Anachalypsicrinus nefertiti : 1031 : O
Crinoidea sp. : 1072 : R
Crinoidea sp. 1 : 131 : R
Asteronyx loveni : 471 : R
Ophiomusa lymani : 551 : O
Brisingidae sp. : 274 : O
Pseudarchaster sp. 1 : 433 : R
Goniasteridae sp. : 1184 : O
Hymenaster cf. pellucidus : 1110 : O

Asteroidea (cf. Ceramaster/Hymenaster, red/pink)"" : 1173 : R
Asteroidea cf. sp. inulosida : 1186 : R
Asteroidea sp. (pink deep sediment) : 1171 : R
cf. Echinus (deep pink spine) : 1129 : R
Echinidae sp. (white) : 559 : F
Hygrosoma sp. : 1125 : R
Phormosoma placenta : 555 : R
Echinoidea sp. 5 : 572 : O
Peniagone sp. : 1167 : F
Benthogone sp. : 432 : R
Mesothuria intestinalis : 536 : R
Chordata
Harriotta haeckeli : 1185 : R
Synaphobranchus kaupii : 440 : O
Coryphaenoides armatus : 1105 : O
Coryphaenoides guentheri : 577 : O
Lepidion cf. guentheri : 1160 : R
Halosauridae sp. : 1113 : O
Polyacanthonotus rissoanus : 552 : R
Cataetyx laticeps : 1111 : R
cf. Rouleina attrita : 1074 : R
Zoarcidae sp. 2 : 291 : R
Actinopterygii sp. 3 : 930 : R

Number of species = 70

© Marine Institute, MERC Consultants, Bernard Picton 2022