NOAA Ocean Explorer: Davidson Seamount 2006

NOAA Ocean Explorer: Davidson Seamount 2006: "Davidson Seamount: Exploring Ancient Coral Gardens

January 26 - February 4, 2006

Most people think that corals are found in warm water and that mountains are only on land. In 2002, we were able to use new technologies to explore the cold waters, 4,100 to 12,000 feet deep (1250 to 3660 meters), off the Central California coastline. Our destination, the Davidson Seamount, was covered with spectacular organisms, including large and ancient coral gardens. We found that the corals are mostly located on seamount ridges, and that we still have much to learn about the taxonomy (scientific names) of these species. We are now returning to Davidson Seamount, still 99.98% unexplored, to test a model we developed that predicts where corals will be found. We will then take measurements of water currents and food available to understand what causes corals to thrive in some areas, but not others. Along the way, we will photograph and collect corals to determine if they are new species and to determine their age and growth patterns. The BBC will be filming during the cruise so you can join in on the fascination of deep-sea life on an upcoming broadcast of Planet Earth."