Characterizing MCE of the Caribbean
MCD Study
Click the link below for the 2010 publication on a mesophotic reef study conducted in the Red Hind Marine Conservation District.
Shelf Edge Survey and Assessment Project (SESAP)
The implementation of the newly developed Shelf Edge Survey Assessment Project (SESAP) on the South Shelf of St. Thomas, USVI represents the first of numerous upcoming research expeditions investigating the mid-depth mesophotic coral reefs of the American Caribbean. Funded entirely by the Black Coral Penalty Fund, this work seeks to better understand the distribution, extent and quality of coral reefs at depths of 25-70 meters south of St. Thomas. Focused on the primary bank edge of the shelf system, SESAP will be used to measure variability in coral cover, health and fish communities both fore and aft of the primary bank ridgeline immediately adjacent to the Anegada Passage drop-off. Two hundred randomly placed points have been distributed on each side of the ridgeline extending from Vieques, Puerto Rico to the BVI border south of St. John, USVI. Starting in the summer of 2013, half of the points will be sampled using in-water diver methodologies and the other half with remotely operated drop camera technology. The results of this work will provide a foundation for the predictive modeling of reef habitats across the entirety of the south shelf ridgeline. Additionally, we hope to glean a better understanding of the processes that shape the distribution of coral reefs in the USVI as well as the likelihood of their persistence in an increasingly uncertain future.
North Bank Deep Investigation of Coral Ecosystems (NoDICE)
The North Bank Deep Investigation of Coral Ecosystems (NoDICE) is currently characterizing the shelf edge and mid-shelf banks north of St. Thomas. This research is driven by the hypothesis that significant differences exist between the mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCE) north and south of St. Thomas and aims to elucidate the physical characteristics that are controlling community structure. Since this project began in May 2015, 110 randomly placed points have been surveyed in depths between 25 and 60 m using remote drop camera technology and this initial exploration has supported our hypothesis. Continuing through 2015, we will continue our characterization with additional drop camera surveys and in water diver methodologies to measure variability in coral cover, health and fish communities as we did in SESAP. Because we predict that disturbance may be shaping community structure and coral growth rates indicate the potential to recover from disturbance, the second part of this study will use coral cores to compare growth rates between coral colonies from the north and south banks. This research will contribute to our knowledge of the geologic history of these valuable resources and improve our understanding of depth refugia by elucidating the potential of these systems to withstand future disturbance and their potential to persist as some of the most dominant and vibrant systems of the USVI.
