First completely remote at-sea science expedition in Australia's coral
sea marine park
Discovers new corals and possible species never before seen

Date:
June 28, 2020
Source:
Schmidt Ocean Institute
Summary:
Scientists working remotely with Schmidt Ocean Institute, one of
the only at-sea science expeditions to continue operating during
the global pandemic, have completed a first look at deep waters
in the Coral Sea never before seen.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Scientists working remotely with Schmidt Ocean Institute, one of the
only at- sea science expeditions to continue operating during the global pandemic, have completed a first look at deep waters in the Coral Sea
never before seen.


==========================================================================
The Australian science team discovered the deepest living hard corals in Eastern Australian waters, sighted fish in regions where they had never
been found before, and identified up to 10 new marine species of fish,
snails, and sponges.

Schmidt Ocean Institute's research vessel Falkor -- the only year-round philanthropic research vessel in the world -- spent the last 46 days in
one of the world's largest protected areas, the Coral Sea Marine Park.

The team of Australian scientists connected remotely to the ship from
their homes, collecting high-resolution seafloor maps and video footage
of the deep ocean down to 1,600 meters. Led by chief scientist Dr. Robin
Beaman of James Cook University, the expedition enabled the team to
develop a better understanding of the physical and long-term changes that
have occurred on the deep reefs. This marked the first time the region had
been viewed, using an underwater robot that streamed real-time 4K video.

The extraordinary mapping effort has illuminated a complex seafloor of 30
large coral atolls and banks, revealing submarine canyons, dune fields, submerged reefs, and landslides. More than 35,500 square kilometers were mapped-an area larger than half of Tasmania, transforming the Queensland Plateau from one of the poorest-mapped to one of the best-mapped frontier
areas of Australia's marine estate. The maps created will be available
through AusSeabed , a national Australian seabed mapping program, and
will also contribute to the Nippon Foundation GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project
. Only the shallower parts of these reefs had been mapped previously,
and until now no detailed mapping data existed of the deeper areas.

"This expedition has provided us with a unique window into both the
geological past and the present day conditions, allowing scientists
and park managers to be able to see and tell the full story of the interconnected environments," said Dr. Beaman. "This vision is invaluable
for science, management, and education." Over 91 hours of high-resolution video surveys were collected with Falkor's underwater robot, SuBastian,
showing no evidence of coral bleaching below 80 meters.

"We know that the shallower coral counterparts are currently undergoing
their third mass bleaching event in five years, so it's an invaluable
insight for scientists and managers to know how deep that bleaching
extends, " said Dr.

Jyotika Virmani, executive director of Schmidt Ocean Institute. "It's
important to note, however, that the corals discovered are specialized to
these deep habitats and are not found in the shallows. This expedition
was the first time these species have been recorded in such high
abundance in the Coral Sea." The 14 historic deep sea dives completed
with SuBastian have also helped give a much better understanding of the
depth and habitat preferences of the Coral Sea deep reef community. All
of the data collected has been publicly shared through more than 74 hours
of video surveys and highlights available on the Schmidt Ocean Institute YouTube channel and website . The live streamed dives created an online platform, drawing spectators from around the world to witness unique
species like deep water sharks and chambered nautiluses -- a distant
cousin to squids that uses jet propulsion to move.

"The footage coming from our dives is just astounding, '' Virmani
said. "The Falkor 's robust telepresence technology has allowed scientists
from all over the world to collaborate on some of these discoveries. The
data will greatly advance the characterization of Australia's massive
and ecologically important marine estate." Research Vessel Falkor will
return to the Coral Sea Marine Park for an additional month of research
at the end of July.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Schmidt_Ocean_Institute. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Related Multimedia:
* Images_from_the_expedition ==========================================================================


Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200628094249.htm

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