Document Type
Report
Abstract
In 2009, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) established eight deepwater Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) along the outer continental shelf off the southeastern U.S. from south Florida to North Carolina. This report summarizes three research cruises that were conducted from 2015 to 2017 in support of this NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) and SAFMC grant. Seven MPA sites were surveyed in this 3-yr project and included St. Lucie Hump MPA, North Florida MPA, Georgia MPA, Edisto MPA, Charleston Deep Artificial MPA, Northern South Carolina MPA, and Snowy Wreck MPA. Also the Devil’s Hole Special Management Zone (SMZ) which was added in July 2017, and the Oculina HAPC and OECA were surveyed.
The cruises reported herein include: NOAA Ship Pisces Cruise 15-02, June 18-29, 2015; NOAA Ship Pisces 16-02, July 7-16, 2016; and NOAA Ship Pisces 17-02, June 19- July 5, 2017. Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) surveys, CTD casts, and multibeam sonar mapping were used to document and characterize the benthic habitats, benthic macrobiota, and fish populations within and adjacent to the MPA protected areas which are within the jurisdiction of the SAFMC. The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) Mohawk ROV (operated by the Undersea Vehicles Program at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington) was used all three years.
Publication Date
6-27-2018
Recommended Citation
Citation: Harter, Stacey, John Reed, Stephanie Farrington, Andy David. 2018. South Atlantic MPAs and Oculina HAPC: Characterization of fish communities, benthic habitat, and benthic marcrobiota. Final Report for 2015-2017 NOAA Ship Pisces Cruises (15-02, 16-20, 17-02). NOAA CIOERT Cruise Report, 97 pp. Harbor Branch Oceanographic Technical Report Number 186
Comments
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Technical Report Number 186.