EK80 Water Column Sonar Data Collected During PC1802

The goal of the cruise was to gather additional data on habitat and fish assemblages in six of the South Atlantic MPAs and OECA as part of a long-term sampling program to document changes in these areas before and after fishing restrictions are implemented. The southernmost boundary of our work areas was Port Canaveral, FL while the northern-most boundary was Cape Hatteras, NC. Efficacy testing of this management tool aids fishery managers in future use of area restrictions for the protection of valuable habitat and fishery resources. Specific objectives included: ● Daytime Operation: Conducted ROV transect surveys of habitat and fish assemblages and collections of corals and sponges during daylight hours. ● Daytime Operation: Conducted total water column CTD profiles ● Night Operation: Conducted multibeam mapping to find areas to dive on with the ROV the following day. ● Night Operation: Conducted XBT casts to collect sound velocity data for the mapping.