Marine Institute
SeaRover Dive Video

D495 Transect 8 Gravel veneered mud with echinoids/holothurians, cobbles/boulders and bedrock cliffs (different colours/textures) with stalked crinoids, mixed sponges, and chrysogorgiids. Features of interest: canyon, escarpment Water Depth: 2378-1883 m

Highlights: Yellow stalked crinoids - Anachalypsicrinus nefertiti Hexactinellid sponge Hexactinellid sponge Hexactinellid sponge Demosponge - Polymastia sp. Hexactinellid sponges & bamboo coral Hexactinellid sponges & demosponges

The canyon floor contains coarse sediment leading to a series of carbonate cliffs and ledges covered in a thin layer of soft sediment. Very small white echinoids, cf. Echinus sp. are present on the canyon floor; stalked crinoids are very common as are holothurians, Benthogone sp. The white holothurian Mesothuria intestinalis, and Holothuroidea sp. 2 (from Howell & Davies 2010) occur at 2100 m. On hard ground black corals, Bathypathes sp. and Leiopathes sp. are common as are sponges, globular and encrusting forms are recorded as well as glass sponges, including Euplectella sp. Barnacles and cup corals are occasionally present on hard substrate. A delicate chrysogorgiid coral was observed at 2100 m. With the exception of the occasional eel and grenadier there is a paucity of fish species here.

© Marine Institute, MERC Consultants, Bernard Picton 2022