Investigations of Chemosynthetic Communities on the Lower Continental Slope of the Gulf of Mexico, Interim Report 1; Interim rept. 1

摘要

This document represents TDI-Brooks International Inc. First Interim Report for contract number: 1435-01-05-39187, issued by the U.S.Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service Investigations of Chemosynthetic Communities on the Lower Continental Slope of the Gulf of Mexico (CHEMO III). This report compiles detailed information regarding operational procedures, stations occupied, sampling activity and preliminary results. The information in this report is a compilation of two cruises. The Reconnaissance Cruise was conducted on the TDIBrooks research vessel R/V GYRE from 11 to 25 March 2006 and was the initial cruise conducted for this contract. The cruise was completed in two week-long legs with an interim port call in Venice, LA. Leg I (11-18 March) was dedicated to drift camera work to survey the seabed at selected sites. Leg II (19-25 March) involved both drift camera and trawling/box core work efforts. The cruise mobilized and embarked from Freeport, TX. The objective was to provide timely input for the site selection process for the subsequent ALVIN expedition (May 2006). The Deep Chemosynthetic Community Characterization Cruise was conducted on the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) research vessel R/V ATLANTIS and the ALVIN Deep Submergence Vehicle (DSV) from 7 May 2 June 2006, and was the second cruise conducted for this contract. The cruise mobilized and embarked from Key West, Florida, and demobilized at Galveston, Texas. Results reported were obtained by analysis of the sampling information and data during the cruises and immediately afterward.