Cruise title: 2024 NEPDEP Expedition
Partners: NEDPEP is a collaboration between Council of the Haida Nation, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, Ocean Networks Canada, Royal BC Museum, and University of Victoria.
Lead PIs: Cherisse Du Preez
Location: Pacific Canada, British Columbia region
Dates: 13th August 2024
Dive deep with us as we explore glass sponge reefs, ancient underwater volcanoes, and bubbling methane seeps! These oases support an incredible diversity of live found nowhere else on Earth! Our mission is to study these unique habitats, providing crucial science to support conservation decisions.
Partnering with ship- and shore-based teams, we aim to:
1. Document life on a protected glass sponge reefing while trialing environmental DNA technology for monitoring;
2. Capture the first-ever imagery of deep-sea life in a newly proposed marine protected area (MPA) network off the coast of Haida Gwaii;
3. Return to the SG̲áan K̲ínghlas-Bowie MPA to resurvey long-term monitoring sites to document the effects of a changing ocean;
4. Study the newly discovered deep-sea nursery on the summit of NEPDEP 58 Seamount.
This is a Northeast Pacific Deep-sea Exploration Project (NEPDEP) expedition. Follow @nepdep_, #nepdep, and watch the live stream on our website and Facebook live
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