Campod, along with our recently refurbished drop camera system (which has a depth rating of ~1500 m) were put to the test in the Gully Marine Protected Area to investigate an interesting physical feature. Seasonal concentrations of birds and whales have been noted at this location, and its orientation provides what early evidence suggests might be a perturbation of Scotian Slope current water.
The first photos from this area revealed coral in abundance. Numerous species have been identified thus far from the photos collected. We departed the Gully and started heading for the Bedford Institute of Oceanography Monday at 12 pm Atlantic Time. We hope to arrive at BIO in an hour and a half, at 8 am Tuesday June 14th.
Thank you to all of the CCG crew who made the trip easy for all of us. As always the science is only possible with their assistance. In addition, thanks to all of the Science staff for their professionalism and hard work. Each mission highlights a passion our researchers have for benthic ecology and underscores the need to continue our efforts to piece together and interpret the complex puzzle of deep ocean ecosystems.
The following are image highlights of the transects run along the yet to be named spur that projects across the mouth of the Gully:
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| The early morning sun over the Gully Marine Protected Area. |
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| The soft coral Anthomastus sp. (red). Note the weight that triggers the camera (grey disk) is ~ 10 cm in diameter. |
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| Sometimes life comes in shades of grey, like these Xenophyophores which are a complex scaffolding of mud and bits of shell created by a very large multi-nucleated single cell. |
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| Bamboo coral (Keratoisis ornata) dominates the bottom on this feature at the mouth of the Gully. It appears in concentrations at this location that rival any site in the world. |
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| A CCGS Hudson crew member stands ready to deploy the drop camera at the rail. |
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| Gear operator and photographer/videographer Kelly Bentham stands next to the drop camera. He recently played a large part in refurbishing this gear to prepare it for deployment in the Gully MPA. |
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| The gorgonian (or branching) coral Acanthogorgia armata also appears to be common in this area. |
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| The soft coral Duva florida appear very large and healthy at this location. |
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| Anthomastus sp. has a pin cushion appearance when its large red polyps retract. Note 8 tentacles on each polyp that give this subclass of Anthozoans their name, Octocorallia. |
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| Small white polyps from coral of the family Anthothelidae also appear to be abundant at this location in the Gully MPA. |
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| The flamboyant Actinurnus nobilis (purple anemone) sits on a sponge encrusted rock beside a very large bamboo coral. |
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| Large, healthy soft coral attached to a large rock. |
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| Another great picture of the soft coral Anthomastus sp. |
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| A small cup coral, Javania sp. This coral contains only a solitary polyp and some estimates put adults to greater than 100 yrs. |
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| A bottom dominated by very large Bamboo coral. |
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| More bamboo coral. This coral can be found at depths in excess of 5000 m. |
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