Marine Institute
SeaRover Dive Video

D526 Transect RB02 Muddy slope with occasional carbonate boulders and wall. Priority. Features: Mound, Escarpment Water depth: -651 m. TL: 1.3km. SOL: 13° 55.412' W 56° 39.540' N

Highlights: Anemone Chimaera Jellyfish - Periphylla periphylla Golf ball Fish Blue ling - Molva dypterygia Chimaera

Initially the substrate is soft sandy sediment with numerous shrimp like species evident in the water column. The benthic community is composed of anemones, the echinoderms Cidaris cidaris and Stichastrella rosea, the fish Lepidion eques,and hermit crabs. The blue mouth redfish is common. Occasional species include the echinoid Hygrosoma sp. and the holothurian Benthogone rosea. There are some escarpments and vertical walls, as well as boulders. Coral rubble (Lophelia pertusa) is also present.

START VIDEO A AT [00:00:00]/04:33. [1] The transect is set on mud flat/gentle upslope. Sparse epifauna including sea cucumber OTU266, sea urchin OTU211 and a few species of fish. [00:10:00] ROV stops for imagery. [00:20:00] ROV stops for imagery again. [00:25:00] ROV stops for imagery. [00:33:00] ROV stops for imagery of pelagic jellyfish. [00:50:00] ROV stops for imagery and mud cloud. [01:02:00] ROV stops for imagery. Mud cloud. [00:01:22] Mud cloud. END VIDEO A AT 06:00.

VIDEO B STARTS AT 06:02. [2] Mud flat/up slope hosts Cidaris cidaris OTU211 and Bonellia viridis OTU267. [01:31:41] [3] Carbonate boulders on very steep slope. [01:31:54] [4] mud slope again. [01:38:55] [5] carbonate slopes and vertical carbonate. [01:40:03] [6] vertical carbonate. [01:40:47] mud/gravel on slope. [01:41:20] C. cidaris OTU211 and B. viridis OTU267 on mud carbonate slope. [01:45:26] ROV climbs a steep carbonate boulders/bedrock. [01:45:51] Carbonate ledges. [01:47:20] [7] Deep sea sponge aggregations on carbonate/boulders/large cobbles. [01:49:14] Fishing rope on sea floor. [01:50:03] [8] horizontal carbonate/carbonate ledges/boulders. Sparse and varied epifauna including Parastichopus tremulus OTU266 and Demospongiae OTU83. [01:50:40] ROV goes back to the surface until VIDEO B ENDS AT 06:44.

Progression Start Duration Code Name

Porifera
cf. Geodia baretti (Porifera massive globose sp. 11) : 601 : R
Cnidaria
Bolocera tuediae : 12 : R
Lophelia pertusa : 250 : R
Corymorphidae sp. : 120 : R
Arthropoda
Paguridae sp. : 205 : R
Mollusca

Teuthida sp. 1 : 1017 : R
Hypsogastropoda sp. : 621 : R
Echinodermata
Stichastrella rosea : 198 : R
Cidaris cidaris : 211 : R
Araeosoma fenestratum : 188 : R
Parastichopus tremulus : 266 : R
Chordata
Galeus melastomus : 1005 : R

Chimaera monstrosa : 265 : R
Synaphobranchus kaupii : 440 : R
Lepidion eques : 249 : R
Helicolenus dactylopterus : 227 : R

Number of species = 16

© Marine Institute, MERC Consultants, Bernard Picton 2022