2015 Nancy Foster Caribbean mapping mission: Expedition marks twelve years of discovery

From NCCOS

NCCOS prepares to embark on its twelfth year of an ongoing scientific research mission on board the NOAA Ship Nancy Foster, funded by NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program. The mission will combine methods of multibeam and fish sonar with video captured from an ROV (remotely operated vehicle) and environmental data collected from an autonomous glider from March 28 to April 7 around the islands of St. Croix and St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Integrating these mapping and observation activities gives the scientists a more complete picture of these ecosystems, and they can actually visualize how fish are distributed around bottom features across the entire region. within coastal waters of St. Croix and St. Thomas, USVI.

The data gathered from these annual missions are used to generate maps for use by local policy makers to determine the best approach for managing and protecting these important habitats and the marine species that live here, as well as supporting future research initiatives.

Follow along with the mission blog here: https://noaaoceanscience.wordpress.com

2015 Nancy Foster Mission: Blog #1: https://noaaoceanscience.wordpress.com/2015/03/23/2015-nancy-foster-mission-12-years-of-habitat-mapping-in-the-caribbean/

For more information check out the mission web portal here: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/caribbean-mapping/

If you have further questions, contact [email protected]

IMAGES:

Reef habitat imagery captured with the ROV during the 2014 Nancy Foster mission. Credit: NOAA

Planned project areas around St. Thomas and St. Croix, USVI in the red diagonals. Credit: NOAA

The NOAA ship Nancy Foster embarks on its 12th seafloor mapping mission in the Caribbean on March 28 from Charlotte Amalie, Saint Thomas, USVI. Credit: NOAA

Red hind grouper. Credit: NOAA

A muttonhead snapper aggregation. Credit: NOAA

Half-hidden scorpion fish. Credit: NOAA

For more on this story go to: http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/ecosystem-management/2015-nancy-foster-caribbean-mapping-mission-expedition-marks-twelve-years-of-discovery/