Ernst Heinrich Philipp August Haeckel, Kunstformen der Natur, 1899-1904, Anemone
The Libraries may not be able to go along on a cruise to select specimens, but our collections can help identify them when they return to the Smithsonian. This nice article highlights phases of research in a recent expedition by the U.S. Geological Survey, part of the Discovre Expedition:
…4-year multidisciplinary research program will focus on understanding the physical oceanography, biology, ecology, genetic connectivity, and trophodynamics of deep coral environments in the Gulf of Mexico (300-1000 m depths), both within natural and artificial (shipwreck) sites…a diverse group of collaborators, including scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNC-W), UNC Chapel Hill, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), and the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS)…will use a combination of traditional techniques (for example, photography, quantitative sample collections) and several advanced tools (including remotely operated vehicles, multibeam sonar, benthic landers, and genetic analysis)…to better understand these critical, poorly studied deep-sea habitats.
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