From 14-27 June 2019, the CSSF team joined chief scientists Drs. Martha Nizinski (NOAA) and Anna Metaxas (Dalhousie University) in support of their deep-sea coral research in submarine canyons off the Northeast Coast of the U.S. and Canada and in the Northern Gulf of Maine. The research team focused on filling data gaps in the distribution, abundance, and diversity of deep-sea corals to inform resource managers and aid in determining MPA boundaries and coral-closure areas on both sides of the border.

Read more: Deep-Sea Coral Research in Submarine Canyons

From June 8th to 22nd, 2017, ROPOS was mobilized onboard the NOAA Ship Henry. B. Bigelow for an international expedition to explore the Gulf of Maine.

Scientists, researchers, students and technicians from Dalhousie University and Memorial University lead the Canadian leg of the expedition, funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Together with researchers from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), they explored the unique Gulf of Maine ecosystems with the goal of discovering new species and habitats in need of protection.

Read more: Gulf of Maine Expedition Update

You can watch Science of the Sea - Revealing mysteries through the science of the sea (Season 17 Episode 20) on CBC Gem.

From November 22nd to December 12th we had the pleasure of working in the Indian Ocean for the German Federal Institutes of Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) onboard the R/V Pelagia. This project had ROPOS diving as deep as 3400 metres in its “mid-depth” configuration but with its 5000 metre foam pack. This was our first time mobilizing on the R/V Pelagia, a vessel with a formidable crew operated by the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ). The vessel was a great fit for ROPOS and we hope to be able to work onboard again in the near future.

Read more: Expedition Update - INDEX 2015