Marine Institute
SeaRover Dive Video

D569 Transect PB10 Lophelia reefs on boulders/hard substrata and sea urchins mainly on mud sediments. Not Priority. Features: SAC Boundary, Wall, Ridge. Water depth: -800 m. TL: 1.4 km SOL: 14° 51.282' W 52° 13.718' N

Highlights: Lophelia & stylasterid coral Scorpion fish Soft coral - Jasonisis? Anemone - Pachycerianthus Lophelia & stylasterid coral Crab - Bathynectes Cerianthid anemones Anemone Lophelia reef, pink anemone

A gentle mud upslope with Cidaris cidaris and a dense colony of small (<5 cm wide) brown anemones. Transitions to a gravel/mud sediment with sparse epifauna and isolated colonies of Lophelia pertusa (25-50% living). Many epifauna species are present on L. pertusa reefs.

Occasional cobbles/boulders are colonised by L. pertusa, large cerianthids and the scleractinian Flabellum sp. are observed. Elsewhere the steep slope hosts mostly dead coral reefs (<1% living) on coarse sediment. When 25-50% living corals occur anemones and echinoids are present.

START VIDEO [00:00:00]/00:32. ROV is on the seafloor. It samples two pushcores. Mud gentle upslope where Cidaris cidaris OTU211 dominates. [00:12:00] Here a dense colony of small (<5 cm wide) brown anemones covers the muddy slope. [00:23:00] Now mud becomes rippled. Brown anemones still present. [00:32:00] Now gravel/mud sediment begins, hosting sparse epifauna. [00:53:00] Here isolated colonies of Lophelia pertusa on coarse sediment (25-50% living). [00:53:00] Mud cloud/vision obscured briefly. [01:02:00] ROV stops for imagery of Callogorgia verticillata OTU280 living on coral. [01:05:00] Occasional cobbles/boulders encountered hosting L. pertusa colonies. [01:13:00] ROV moves slowly to sample imagery of Pachycerianthus multiplicatus OTU458 and reef on cobble. [01:20:00] ROV stops again for imagery of many epifauna species on cobble, including cf Psolus sp. OTU1049. [01:25:00] Now imagery of scleractinian Flabellum sp. OTU1056. [01:34:00] Again here imagery of epifauna on rocky outcrop. [01:36:00] Now cobbles/boulders become more sparse. [01:43:00] Here ROV stops for imagery of dead L. pertusa reef/framework with a couple of crustaceans Bathynectes sp. OTU235. [01:48:00] Here steep slope hosts mostly dead coral reefs (<1% living) on coarse sediment. [01:56:00] Many epifauna species living on L. pertusa reefs. 25-50% living corals host anemones and sea urchins. VIDEO ENDS AT [02:00:00]/02:32.

Progression Start Duration Code Name
1[00:00:00]00:55:17M.AtMB.Sa.UrcComUrchin dominated community on Atlantic mid bathyal sand
2[00:55:18]00:04:41M.AtMB.Bi.CorReeAtlantic mid bathyal cold water coral reef (biogenic structure)
3[01:00:00]00:06:42M.AtMB.Ro.MixCorMixed cold water coral community on Atlantic mid bathyal rock and other hard substrata
4[01:06:43]00:20:47M.AtMB.Bi.CorReeAtlantic mid bathyal cold water coral reef (biogenic structure)
5[01:27:31]00:19:55M.AtMB.CoAtlantic mid bathyal coarse sediment
6[01:47:27]00:01:26M.AtMB.Bi.CorReeAtlantic mid bathyal cold water coral reef (biogenic structure)
7[01:48:54]00:11:46M.AtMB.Bi.CorRee.LopFraMixed coral assemblage on Atlantic mid bathyal Lophelia pertusa reef framework (biogenic structure)

Foraminifera
Syringammina fragilissima : 261 : R
Porifera
Aphrocallistes beatrix : 264 : R
Porifera encrusting sp. 1 (white) : 1 : R
Porifera encrusting sp. 15 (yellow) : 58 : R
Blue Porifera encrusting : 800 : R
Cnidaria
Cerianthidae sp. 1 : 2 : R
Pachycerianthus multiplicatus : 458 : R
Actiniaria sp. 1 : 4 : R
Actiniaria sp. 4 : 109 : R
Phelliactis sp. 1 : 255 : R
Antipathes dichotoma : 1187 : R
Bathypathes sp. (brown) : 284 : R
Caryophyllia sp. 2 : 6 : R
Lophelia pertusa : 250 : R
Flabellum sp. : 1056 : R
Madrepora oculata : 251 : R

Anthomastus grandiflorus : 278 : R
Paramuricea sp. : 1050 : R
Callogorgia verticillata : 280 : R
Hydrozoa (flat branched) : 56 : R
Pliobothrus sp. : 207 : R
Arthropoda
Chaceon affinis : 254 : R
Paromola cuvieri : 304 : R
Mollusca
Colus sp. : 113 : R
Margarites sp. 1 : 277 : R
Hypsogastropoda sp. : 621 : R
Echinodermata
Stichastrella rosea : 198 : R
Ceramaster/Peltaster/Plinthaster sp. 1 : 234 : R
Cidaris cidaris : 211 : O
Araeosoma fenestratum : 188 : R
cf. Psolus sp. : 1049 : R
Mesothuria intestinalis : 536 : R

Chordata
Ascidiacea sp. (clear) : 591 : R
Ascidiacea sp. 2 : 20 : R
Hydrolagus cf. mirabilis : 1024 : R
Synaphobranchus kaupii : 440 : R
Molva molva : 654 : R
Coryphaenoides guentheri : 577 : R
Lepidion eques : 249 : R
Mora moro : 349 : R
Phycis blennoides : 1020 : R
Aphanopus carbo : 1097 : R
Trichiuridae sp. : 1303 : R
Trachyscorpia cristulata : 1216 : R
Helicolenus dactylopterus : 227 : R

Number of species = 45

© Marine Institute, MERC Consultants, Bernard Picton 2022