Marine Institute
SeaRover Dive Video

D572 Transect PB32 Mixed substrata (mud/cobble/boulders). Possible new biogenic reefs of zoanthids. Priority 1. Features: Mounds, NPWS selected. Water depth: -640 m. TL: 6 km SOL: 13° 2.100' W 52° 15.412' N

Highlights: White zoanthid anemone Zoanthid anemone reef with anglerfish Zoanthid anemone on Lophelia Zoanthid reef Anglerfish - Lophius piscatorius swimming over zoanthid reef

A steep incline with mud and scattered cobbles. Fields of xenophyophore Syringammina fragilissima and organic debris are observed. A dead coral structure observed with sparse epifauna including Ceriatharia. Species found on living Lophelia pertusa reef include Cidaris cidaris, Munida sarsi and occasional echinoids. Towards the end of dive an extensive area of reef with <50% living was observed.

START VIDEO [00:00:00]/18:15. Mud up slope. Vision is poor. Fields of Syringammina fragilissima OTU261. [00:17:00] ROV stops for imagery of Alcyonacea sp.2 OTU140. [00:29:00]-[00:40:00] Organic debris on sea floor. [00:34:00] Steep hill. Mud with scattered cobbles. [01:23:00] Dead structure, similar to dead coral structure on steep mud hill. Sparse epifauna include Ceriatharia OTU1069. [01:25:00] Living coral reef (possibly Zoanthidae sp.2 OTU1217). Species encountered include Cidaris cidaris OTU211, Munida sarsi OTU200. [01:26:00] ROV climbs a steep hill/vertical wall. Here the site is dominated by extended coral reef (possibly Zoanthidae sp. 2). The reef is living (<50%) and dead. [01:29:00] Mud cloud. [01:35:00] Here Lophelia pertusa reef on boulder. Epifauna include sea urchin OTU445 and isolated scleractinians OTU6. [01:37:00] ROV stops for imagery of reef. [01:40:00] Here a colony of Zoanthidae sp.2 OTU1217 extends where <75% coral is living. [01:45:00] L. pertusa/M. oculata reef (25-50% living) on large cobble/boulder. [01:48:00] Again Zoanthidae sp.2 colony extends. END VIDEO [01:54:00]/20:09.

Progression Start Duration Code Name
1[00:00:00]00:34:00M.AtUB.MuAtlantic upper bathyal mud
2[00:34:01]00:47:48M.AtUB.MuAtlantic upper bathyal mud
3[01:21:50]00:02:31M.AtUB.CoAtlantic upper bathyal coarse sediment
4[01:24:22]00:10:52M.AtUB.Bi.CorReeAtlantic upper bathyal cold water coral reef (biogenic structure)
5[01:35:15]00:15:57M.AtUB.Bi.CorReeAtlantic upper bathyal cold water coral reef (biogenic structure)

Foraminifera
Syringammina fragilissima : 261 : R
Porifera
Porifera encrusting sp. 1 (white) : 1 : R
Cnidaria
Cerianthidae sp. 1 : 2 : R
Pachycerianthus multiplicatus : 458 : R
Caryophyllia sp. 2 : 6 : O
Desmophyllum cf. dianthus : 335 : O
Lophelia pertusa : 250 : F
Madrepora oculata : 251 : F
Zoanthidae sp. : 1217 : F
cf. Drifa/Alcyonacea sp. 2 : 140 : R
Anthothela grandiflora : 311 : R
Hydrozoa (flat branched) : 56 : R
Arthropoda

Chaceon affinis : 254 : R
Paromola cuvieri : 304 : R
Munida sarsi : 200 : R
Bathynectes sp. : 235 : R
Eucarida sp. (red deep) : 1138 : R
Mollusca
Graneledone verrucosa : 973 : R
Cephalopoda sp. : 73 : R
Echinodermata
Koehlermetra porrecta : 315 : O
Porania sp. : 263 : R
cf. Echinus (deep pink spine) : 1129 : R
Echinus sp. : 445 : R
Cidaris cidaris : 211 : R
Parastichopus tremulus : 266 : R
Chordata

Pseudotriakidae microdon : 1071 : R
Squaliformes sp. : 569 : R
Synaphobranchus kaupii : 440 : R
Beryx decadactylus : 1025 : R
Molva molva : 654 : R
Trachyrincus sp. : 446 : R
Lepidion eques : 249 : R
Phycis blennoides : 1020 : R
Lophius piscatorius : 273 : R
Notacanthidae sp. 1 : 1009 : R
Trichiuridae sp. : 1303 : R
Helicolenus dactylopterus : 227 : R

Number of species = 37

© Marine Institute, MERC Consultants, Bernard Picton 2022