canyon

Exclusive photos show deep-sea canyon in U.S. waters teeming with life

10 December, 2018

Source: National Geographic
Author: Sarah Gibbens

It felt a lot like a moon landing to the researchers who experienced it—descending thousands of feet below the surface of the ocean into complete darkness. Ambient ocean light extends down only about 600 feet. After that, no amount of straining your eyes will help you see through the inky blackness.

Scientist Tim Shank and photographer Luis Lamar were descending into Lydonia canyon, one of several among the canyons and underwater mountains sitting 130 miles from Massachusetts, when they were slowly surrounded by darkness.

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Stand up for California’s seafloor

16 November, 2016

Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune
Author: ALEXANDRA COUSTEAU & TED DANSON

The Pacific Ocean off California is unlike any other place in the world. Its fluorescent sunsets and powerful waves have been the inspiration for pop culture, art, education and conservation. Visitors and locals alike flock to California’s 840 miles of breathtaking coastline. However, just beyond the limits of the naked eye lies an important part of the ocean that many people don’t know about, the seafloor. Remarkably, we know more about the moon orbiting the Earth about 230,000 miles away than we do about the seafloor. 

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Review of United Nations Landmark Resolutions To Protect the Deep Sea Reveals That There Is Still Work To Do

5 August, 2016

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) wrapped up a two-day workshop today in New York to review the implementation of a set of landmark resolutions adopted by the General Assembly over the past ten year calling for action by States to prevent damage to deep-sea ecosystems from destructive fishing practices.        

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A statement by the deep-sea research community for consideration by UNFCCC

2 September, 2015

A statement by the deep-sea research community for consideration by UNFCCC

DEEP OCEAN MITIGATION AND RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE

The deep sea is an integral part of the earth system and plays a significant role in minimizing the impact of human released CO2 on the earth’s climate. The waters and seafloor below 200m are one of the largest sinks of excess carbon dioxide and heat and have already absorbed more than a quarter of anthropogenic atmospheric CO2. Ocean acidification, warming and deoxygenation resulting from human CO2 release has already been observed in deep waters and these impacts are projected to intensify in coming decades.

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Deep-water longline fishing has reduced impact on Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems

29 April, 2014

Source: Scientific Reports

The expansion of fishing activities into deeper waters1 is unquestionably one of the principal threats to the world’s ocean health2. Most deep-sea fisheries are unsustainable not only for target species but also for non-target fauna and their habitats3. Unless some radical changes in governance and management are being made4, damages to deep-sea ecosystems will soon be irreversible. The United Nations have recognized this issue and has urged governments and Regional Fishery Management Organizations to assess the impact of deep-sea fisheries on Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs), particularly on cold-water coral ecosystems5. To reach this goal, impact assessments of different types of deep-sea fishing gear and of specific fishery are urgently needed6.

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Northeast U.S. Canyons Expedition 2013: Mission Introduction

1 August, 2013

Source: NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

Authors: Kelley Elliott and Brian Kennedy (Expedition Coordinators)

From July to August 2013, a team of scientists and technicians both at-sea and on shore will conduct exploratory investigations on the diversity and distribution of deep-sea habitats and marine life along the Northeast U.S. Canyons and at Mytilus Seamount, located within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. The 36-day expedition is composed of two cruise ‘legs.’

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