Marine Institute
SeaRover Dive Video

D684 Transect 53 Gentle/moderate muddy slope with mainly sea urchins, starfish and ophiuroids. P1. Water depth: 2511-2487m. Feature: Canyon, escarpment

Highlights: Soft coral - Anthomastus and brittlestar Ophiomusa Close-up of brittlestar Ophiomusa Rusty barrel Birdbeak dogfish - Deania calcea

Of Note: Cup corals and soft coral Anthomastus, strong currents.

Primarily soft sediment. Fauna includes the cup coral Flabellum, the soft coral Anthomastus, starfish, echinoids, ophiuroids and occasional burrows. A discarded, corroded oil drum is observed. Dive aborted after 50 minutes with a suspected umbilical problem.

START VIDEO [00:00:00]/19:41. The entire dive is set on gentle/moderate muddy slope with mainly sea urchins, starfish and ophiuroids . [1] [00:01:00] ROV stops for sampling two pushcores. [00:13:00] Here ROV zooms in and shows some fluffy organic matter and pteropod hash on moderate muddy slope. [00:14:00] [2] Echinus sp. on mud dominates for the rest of the transect. [00:34:00] Rusted large barrel (< 1 m in length). END VIDEO [00:52:00]/20:26.

Progression Start Duration Code Name
1[00:00:00]00:13:48M.AtUA.MuAtlantic upper abyssal mud
2[00:13:49]00:38:12M.AtUA.Mu.UrcComUrchin dominated community on Atlantic upper abyssal mud

Cnidaria
Cerianthidae sp. 1 : 2 : R
Caryophyllia sp. 2 : 6 : F
Flabellum sp. : 1056 : R
Anthomastus grandiflorus : 278 : F
Distichoptilum gracile : 1108 : R
Arthropoda
Caridea (indet.) : 1077 : R
Bathynectes sp. : 235 : R

Echinodermata
Ophiomusa lymani : 551 : R
Pterasteridae sp. : 1115 : R
Echinus sp. : 445 : C
Elpidiidae (indet.) : 1122 : R
Chordata
Hoplostethus atlantica : 651 : R
Coryphaenoides guentheri : 577 : R
Coryphaenoides rupestris : 566 : R

Halosauridae sp. : 1113 : R
Notacanthiformes sp. 1 : 1012 : R

Number of species = 16

© Marine Institute, MERC Consultants, Bernard Picton 2022