ME70 Water Column Sonar Data Collected During PC1602

Coral and Fish Assemblage Survey of Marine Protected Areas in the South Atlantic Bight. The primary objectives of the cruise were to gather additional data on habitat and fish assemblages within and adjacent to seven of the South Atlantic Grouper/Tilefish MPAs and inside the OECA as part of a long term sampling program to document changes in these areas before and after implementation of fishing restrictions. Efficacy testing of this management tool will aid fishery managers in future use of area restrictions for the protection of valuable habitat and fishery resources. Specific objectives included: o Conduct remote operated vehicle (ROV) transect surveys of habitat and fish assemblages o Conduct total water column CTD profiles for each location o Conduct multibeam mapping with Pisces’ ME-70 system inside and outside existing MPAs to locate potential ROV survey sites as well as to continue assembly of a comprehensive bathymetric map of the entire outer continental shelf margin of the southeastern US.