"You can study deep-sea vents which are close to the island and work on coral, that sort of thing.
(For more information on the equipment and techniques used by investigators to study deep-sea sediments, see undersea exploration).
To date, our ability to study deep-sea species lags behind that of those inhabiting the photic zone limiting scientific data available for management.
For example, having a ROV or submersible permanently dedicated to the east coast region would facilitate the rate at which we study deep-sea diversity, discover new habitats, conduct manipulative experiments, and allow for a greater frequency of in situ observations of critical or sensitive habitats.
Last September, marine scientists studying deep-sea biology in the northern Gulf of Mexico lowered a submersible robot off the side of a government research vessel and piloted it 1,300 feet to the ocean floor.
Scientists studying deep-sea tubeworms have unmasked one secret to their success: Females fertilize their eggs internally and release the resulting embryos at an early developmental stage, optimizing their chances for survival and long-distance dispersal.
"We know so little about it," Christopher Bird, a Ph.D. student who studies deep-sea sharks at the University of Southampton in England, told The Washington Post.
For example, functional diversity studies on plant communities may include 11 to 75 species per community [ 50], a study on deep sea nematode assemblage up to 80 species per site [ 54] and up to almost 480 species per site in a reef fish study [ 51].
That may come as a surprise, but for years, scientists who study the deep sea have had a sneaking suspicion that sharks do not live below about 10,000 feet.
Our colleagues at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute study the deep sea on a daily basis and their catalog of discoveries truly boggles the mind.
Ross is leading a four-part research cruise that began Aug. 6 aimed at studying these deep sea environments, hoping to find new species of fish, crab and corals that could lead to scientific and medical discoveries.
