Mesophotic coral environment monitoring and habitat surveys at the Main Hawaiian Island
Chain (SE0807, EK60) |
The goals of the cruise were to collect a variety of data to assess the status of
mesophotic corals in the Auau Channel, off the west coast of Maui. Camera surveys
of corals and fish were conducted by a live feed video camera attached to a Towed
Optical Assessment Device (TOAD). Two instrument arrays were deployed to monitor environmental
variables (temperature, salinity, currents) for a period of one year. In addition,
two smaller arrays were deployed to monitor temperature and occurrences of transient
large fish that have been tagged previously. CTD casts were conducted at predetermined
stations off a small boat, and light measurement profiles were taken at midday over
a period of 4 days. Biological backscatter were recorded using an EK60 echosounder
system operating at 38, 70, & 120 kHz along predetermined transects. |
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