Coral monitoring and evaluation of advanced diving techniques to support National Marine Sanctuary Programs. Principal Investigator: Billy Causey, National Marine Sanctuary Program

For two weeks in September, the National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP) and UNC Wilmington's National Undersea Research Center are conducting a partnership program that combines training, fieldwork using multiple diving technologies, and several educational activities. This mission includes staff from three different sanctuary programs who are working on five research projects, including, coral reef assessment and monitoring, fish census and behavior studies, and a deep reef crinoid survey. At the same time, unique educational experiences such as live links between topside audiences and Aquarius aquanauts will highlight mission activities.

A primary goal of the mission is to evaluate how different dive technologies affect reef fish censuses. For this project, aquanauts and topside divers will conduct fish censuses at multiple times and locations, using at least two survey techniques. The aquanaut team is lead by Laddie Akins, Executive Director of the Reef Environmental Education Foundation. A surface-based fish census team will participate concurrently during the Aquarius mission using closed circuit rebreather diving techniques. The surface team is evaluating new equipment that will make it possible to work longer, and eventually deeper, than is currently possible using conventional diving techniques. Further, because the equipment used by the rebreather divers does not produce bubbles, they will also conduct fish censuses to compare with the results of the aquanauts. There is reason to believe that bubbles produced using open circuit scuba techniques (the standard equipment used by recreational and most scientific divers) scare fish away or otherwise affect their behavior in ways that bias fish counts. The census work of the rebreather divers will be compared to the census work of the aquanauts (the bubble divers) to test the hypothesis that bubbles affect fish counts.

There are two projects that focus on coral reef monitoring. The first project, led by Cathy Sakas from Grays Reef National Marine Sanctuary, will use transect techniques to estimate percent cover of major reef components. They will also measure the size and condition of corals at several locations and depths. These data will be compared to similar studies of deep reef habitats around the Aquarius site that were started in 1994. The second project, led by Billy Causey, Superintendent of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, will document the presence or absence of crinoids at the Conch Reef Aquarius site. Crinoids are more commonly known as sea lilies or feather stars, and are members of the echinoderm family, but they don't look like sea urchins or starfish (A great crinoid website is run by Dr. Charles Messing, from NOVA University). Crinoids are not common in the Florida Keys. There is reason to believe that their numbers have declined dramatically in recent years, for reasons that are not clear but may be related to the general decline documented in the Keys for coral reefs. Causey suspects echinoderms in general may be good indicators of ecosystem health in the marine environment and crinoids may play an even larger role as an "indicator group." Prior to the mid-1980s it was common to observe crinoids along the deep reefs from Key Largo to Key West. Today, crinoids are still commonly observed in the Tortugas but less frequently off the populated Keys. This survey will initiate an ongoing effort to document crinoid distribution, diversity, and abundance in the Sanctuary.

The fourth project involves observations of reef fish behavior to evaluate how the behavior of multiple species (based on foraging strategies, and schooling in mixed or single groups) combined with habitat structure (coral reef, patch reefs, sand, and mixed habitat types) affects the number of fish present (biodiversity) in different habitats. This work, led by Dr. James Lindholm, Science Coordinator for Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, requires extensive bottom time that is not possible to achieve in deeper water using conventional scuba diving techniques. Results will be compared to previous work conducted in Bonair (southern Caribbean) and Mauritius (Indian Ocean).

Finally, the aquanauts will attempt to tag a large number of snappers, groupers, and other reef fish using techniques designed to minimize harm to the fish. Aquarius is located in a designated Marine Protected Area devoted to coral reef research. No fishing is allowed. There is great interest in learning about the movement of fish within marine protected areas, and without. Using Aquarius, the fish-tagging aquanauts, led by onboard UNCW habitat technician Jay Styron, will have an unprecedented opportunity to tag and release a large number of fish during the mission. Posters are printed that will be distributed throughout the community to help alert fishers to the tagging program.

Stephania Bolden, Research Scientist (NOAA/National Marine Fisheries Service - Miami/St. Petersburg) and Karen Burns, Fisheries Biology Program Manager (Center for Fisheries Enhancement, Mote Marine Laboratory) helped develop the tagging program and are directly involved in all aspects of the program. Fish tags are imprinted with unique numbers as well as Mote Marine Laboratory's toll-free fish tag recapture telephone number. All tags reported will become part of Mote's Reef Fish Tagging Program database. Education and outreach activities will also play a large role in the mission. There are several events scheduled, including a live link from inside Aquarius to the Orlando Science Center, a live press conference between reporters (including student reporters) and the aquanauts, and two live web-casts. As in previous missions, expedition journals and pictures will be posted on the web site, and the web cameras will be active. More project information and aquanaut biographies will be posted in the next week or two.

For more information about this mission, the NMSP, and other NOAA missions, please visit the websites of project partners, or contact Mitchell Tartt of the NMSP. For more information on the educational activities contact Shelley Du Puy of the NMSP. For specific matters related to Aquarius and NURC/UNCW contact Dr. Steven Miller, Center Director, or Mark Ward, NURC/UNCW Public Affairs.

Special Event: Live Aquarius Web Cast

In an effort to expose students around the country to the excitement of ocean exploration and research, NOAA's National Undersea Research Center at UNCW, NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary Program, NOAA's Office of Ocean Exploration, and NASA Oceanography have joined forces to create the Ocean Explorers in the Classroom Program. Throughout September and early October 2001, classrooms around the country will have opportunities to engage with three of NOAA's "Voyages of Discovery." During the month-long activities, students will have the opportunity to post questions to the aquanauts, scientists, ocean explorers and educators in underwater habitats and aboard oceanographic vessels.

September 11-14: Aquarius Mission Web Forum

Classrooms can post questions to the aquanauts participating in the National Marine Sanctuary Aquarius Mission. Link to the Aquarius Mission Web Forum above and then please enter your name, your school, and your state when you post a question. To ask your questions in the chat room all you need is a connection to the Internet. This text-based interface is easy to use. Once your questions are posted in the Web forum, they will be answered by the participating aquanauts; answers will be posted the following day.

September 17: Aquarius Mission Webcast

Webcasts are live video and/or audio feeds easily accessed via the Internet. On September 17, 2001, your classroom will have the opportunity to interact with the Aquarius aquanauts. While watching the live video stream or listening to the live audio stream, students will be able to ask the aquanauts questions, which may be answered during the program. Students can ask their questions via a live, moderated chat room. During the program, we will attempt to answer as many questions as possible. Questions that are not addressed during the hour-long show we will be answered by aquanauts in the chat room shortly following the program.

Video Conferencing Event

You will need to download RealPlayer (it's free) to view and/or hear the live Webcasts. It is advised that you download RealPlayer client and test it well in advance of the live broadcast. To ask your questions in the chat room all you need is a connection to the Internet. This text-based interface is easy to use. On September 14 a video conferencing event was conducted between UNCW's National Undersea Research Center and Cape Fear Community College. Using video conferencing equipment inside Aquarius, microwave technology from the Aquarius Life Support Buoy to mission control in Key Largo, and ISDN lines point-to-point to Wilmington, NURC's Mike Smith (a Cape Fear graduate and Habitat Technician during the mission) hosted a live tour and answered questions from students in Cape Fear's Marine Technology Program. Ray Brandi at Cape Fear hosted the event, which was a big success.

A second video conferencing event was held on September 15th with the Orlando Science Center. Over 150 people attended (families and children) in the Science Theater located in the Darden Adventure Theater. Dr. Linda Walters, U. of Central Florida and a Co-Principal Investigator on a recent Aquarius Mission, hosted the event with Mark Ward, NURC/UNCW Public Affairs.

Both events included a live audio and video tour of Aquarius and question and answer sessions with the aquanauts. If you're interested in hosting a live Aquarius event, please contact Mark Ward at markeward@aol.com, or Dr. Steven Miller, NURC/UNCW Center Director, at millers@uncwil.edu, to discuss schedules and technical requirements.