Oceanographic data collected during the Operation Deep Scope 2007 expedition aboard R/V SEWARD JOHNSON in the Bahamas from 2007-08-17 to 2007-08-28 (NCEI Accession 0051895)

Despite substantial interference from hurricanes Bonnie, Charley, and Katrina, Operations Deep-Scope 2004 and 2005 were extremely successful. In addition to numerous discoveries (e.g., fluorescent sharks, new large deep-sea squid, UV vision in deep-sea crabs, the importance of polarized light and bioluminescent searchlights), these expeditions developed several new technologies. The Eye-in-the-Sea is now a robust stealth camera system; waveband, fluorescence, polarization, and UV imaging techniques are well-developed; and we can now collect deep-sea benthic species without damaging their eyes. Together these achievements place us in a unique position to explore the deep sea in innovative and exciting ways. In 2007 we propose to extend the envelope of this exciting frontier in ocean exploration in two ways: 1) developing further imaging and listening technologies, 2) using the currently developed methods to explore the cliffs in the Bahamas that range from the surface to 3000 feet in depth. Results from this proposal will characterize an important deep-sea benthic environment, and use new technologies to locate inorganic and organic ocean resources, fulfilling two of the main themes of Ocean Exploration. The proposed cliff sites range from shallow coral reefs to the abyssal plain and will allow us to explore a large number of benthic communities in a small location and learn how depth affects undersea life. Given the technological focus of our research however, if the ships' schedules should make it difficult to work in this area we would welcome the opportunity to test these new technologies at any biologically rich sites. Unlike many research cruises, which focus in depth on one problem and method, we propose a number of smaller projects that are linked by the methods and questions of visual ecology and optical oceanography. The ultimate goal of our highly interdisciplinary group of researchers is to explore and characterize the deep-sea world in these new ways.