Illuminating Biodiversity in Deep Waters of Puerto Rico 2022

April 6 - 19, 2022
[ Disponible en español ]

Expedition Summary

April 6-19, 2022, a team of researchers used emerging technologies to explore deepwater habitats off the coast of Puerto Rico and documented a wide variety of marine life, including commercially important species and species that may be new to science.

During the Illuminating Biodiversity in Deep Waters of Puerto Rico 2022 expedition, the team conducted a total of seven dives with remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Global Explorer, ranging in depth from 210 to 1,246 meters (689 to 4,088 feet). Biological samples collected during the dives included several that may represent potential new species of black corals and sponges as well as a colonial tunicate. The team also collected a bryozoan (Cornucpina cf. antillea) that had not been collected since it was first discovered in 1933 during the Johnson-Smithsonian Deep-Sea Expedition to the Puerto Rico Trench.

Observations made during expedition dives included a newly documented symbiotic association between a scale worm and a carrier shell and observations of a family of predatory tunicate that had not yet been documented in the Caribbean Sea. The team also saw evidence of fishing activity at every site visited.

A low-light camera mounted on Global Explorer was tested during the expedition to enable a less-intrusive study of midwater organisms and the collection of imagery of bioluminescent organisms and a modified McLane Pump attached to the ROV allowed filtering of water throughout the course of each dive for later eDNA analyses.

Mapping operations conducted during the expedition using the multibeam sonar system on NOAA Ship Nancy Foster resulted in the collection of approximately 620 square kilometers (180 square nautical miles) of high-resolution seafloor bathymetry data. These operations included the remapping of the head branches of Guayanilla Canyon; in conjunction with colleagues, the expedition team will be analyzing the mapping data for signs of earthquake activity on the seafloor as a result of earthquakes in the region in 2019-2020. Four areas that are actively fished in the region, including Escollo Grappler, Escollo Investigator, Escollo Whiting, and Guayanilla Canyon, were mapped during the expedition in higher resolution than previously available.

Two live interactions with scientists on Nancy Foster with approximately 50 guests at the EcoExploratorio in San Juan brought the expedition to a broader audience. Additionally, thousands of members of the public were able to follow along as members of the science party posted updates on Twitter (under #Illuminating Biodiversity #Puerto Rico) and contributed content to the oceanexplorer.noaa.gov website.

View the initial Expedition Overview.

Callogorgia sp. coral seen creating habitat for numerous other species, including brittle stars, fish, snails, a flytrap anemone, and chyrostylid crabs during a dive as part of the Illuminating Biodiversity in Deep Waters of Puerto Rico 2022 expedition.
Callogorgia sp. coral seen creating habitat for numerous other species, including brittle stars, fish, snails, a flytrap anemone, and chyrostylid crabs during a dive as part of the Illuminating Biodiversity in Deep Waters of Puerto Rico 2022 expedition. Image courtesy of Illuminating Biodiversity in Deep Waters of Puerto Rico 2022. Download largest version (jpg, 2.8 MB).
Predatory Tunicate (15 centimeters/5.9 inches wide) with possible food in its gut was seen during Dive 2 of the during the Illuminating Biodiversity in Deep Waters of Puerto Rico 2022 expedition. This entire family of tunicates has never been collected from the Caribbean before.
Predatory Tunicate (15 centimeters/5.9 inches wide) with possible food in its gut was seen during Dive 2 of the during the Illuminating Biodiversity in Deep Waters of Puerto Rico 2022 expedition. This entire family of tunicates has never been collected from the Caribbean before. Image courtesy of Illuminating Biodiversity in Deep Waters of Puerto Rico 2022. Download largest version (jpg, 725 KB).

Operations

Map of the exploration area along the southern coast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea with a few target locations. Bathymetry courtesy of USGS.
Map of the Illuminating Biodiversity in Deep Waters of Puerto Rico 2022 expedition exploration area along the southern coast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea with a few target locations. Bathymetry courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey. Download largest version (jpg, 2.4 MB).

Education Themes

Education Theme pages provide the best of what the NOAA Ocean Exploration website has to offer to support your classroom during this expedition. On each theme page, you will find links to expedition features, lessons, multimedia, career information, and associated past expeditions.
Bioluminescence
Bioluminescence
Bioluminescence
Deep-Sea Canyons
Deep-Sea Canyons
Deep-Sea Canyons
Deep-Sea Corals
Deep-Sea Corals
Deep-Sea Corals
Underwater Robots
Underwater Robots
Underwater Robots

Related Links

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Outreach

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Partners

Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History
NOAA Fisheries

Media Contacts

Ryan Lavery

Senior Press Officer
Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History
LaveryR@si.edu

Emily Crum

Communication Specialist
NOAA Ocean Exploration
emily.crum@noaa.gov

Funding for this expedition was provided by NOAA Ocean Exploration via its Ocean Exploration Fiscal Year 2021 Funding Opportunity and through a 2022 grant from the Smithsonian Women’s Committee. Shiptime was provided by the NOAA Fisheries Office of Science and Technology.