@Sea - Catalyst 1: Florida Straits 2008

	MISSION DISPATCH 1 December 04, 2008 \| Brian Cousin - @SEA Correspondent THE MISSION COMMENCES At about 1:30 EST the Harbor Branch Research Vessel SEWARD JOHNSON cleared the sea buoy outside Fort Pierce Inlet and began steaming northeast towards our first mission site. In the language of GPS (Global Positioning System) coordinates, the sea buoy is located at 27° 28.706'N latitude, 80° 15.473'W longitude. Our destination is at 28° 22.200' N latitude and 79° 51.600' W longitude. That's 58 nautical miles on a bearing of about 23°. If you look at a chart or a detailed map, you'll see that we'll end up about 36 nautical miles east of Cape Canaveral, Florida. You can also follow the cruise track by locating these points using Google Earth. A nautical mile equals about 1.15 of the statute miles commonly used to measure distances on land. Principal Investigator John Reed of Harbor Branch is no stranger to these waters. John is the Principal Investigator for the Robertson Coral Reef Research and Conservation Program and is supported on this mission by the Banbury Foundation. He first ventured out here over 30 years ago, invited by scientist Robert Avent to help study coral reefs he had discovered in waters as deep as 400' using the institute's Johnson Sea-Link submersibles. After three decades that have included submersible surveys, John and his colleagues have succeeded in establishing an impressive record of exploration and discovery using whatever means available. To date, John has worked with Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV's), multi-beam sonar and even the ships fathometer to help characterize the ocean floor off the east coast of Florida. One milestone result of Reed's continued dedication is the world's first deep coral reef Marine Protected Area, established in 1984 and expanded to encompass a larger area 16 years later. This victory for the ivory tree coral, Oculina varicosa, can be repeated for the Lophelia coral reefs found in deeper waters between about 1,000' and 3,000', when Reed can assemble the data needed to make a convincing case for their protection. The destruction of this critical and fragile habitat primarily by bottom trawling fishing vessels poses their greatest threat. Ultimately, this is why he is out here now, and why he is eager to put the REMUS vehicles to good use. Absent some form of protection, the destruction of this critical and fragile habitat remains a possibility. Current law does not prohibit trawling in the areas Reed is trying to save. Mapping the location of as-yet unknown reefs is key to enhancing protection and ensuring their preservation. The South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council is considering 5 areas John has proposed for protected status, including the one we are investigating during this mission, entitled CATALYST ONE. CATALYST ONE is a unique partnership between the Waitt Institute for Discovery, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University, and represents a great step forward for research in the deep sea. The people and technology now assembled on the Seward Johnson are committed to advancing the quantity and quality of knowledge about these underexplored deep coral reefs. The centerpiece of deep sea research during this CATALYST mission is a pair of deep diving Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) that occupy the back deck usually reserved for the Johnson-Sea-Link submersible. Products of the engineering prowess at Woods Hole Oceanographic and owned by the Waitt Institute for Discovery, the Hydroid-built REMUS 6000 AUVs are capable of reaching a depth of 6,000 meters and performing programmed tasks on missions reaching 18 hours in duration. As their name suggests, they operate autonomously - unmanned, and not tethered by a cable to the ship at the surface. Equipped with multiple sensors including high definition side scan sonar, multi-beam sonar and photographic systems, they are programmed to carry out their tasks, launched and then recovered after completing their mission and returning to the surface. Rather than simply referring to the AUVs as Vehicle 'A' and Vehicle 'B', the operators have dubbed them 'Mary Ann' and 'Ginger' of Gilligan's Island fame. Each partner brings specific, relevant expertise to the research mission. In addition to the science contingent, Harbor Branch is providing its research vessel and crew plus a team of submersible pilots and technicians with decades of undersea vehicle experience. Vehicle design and operations experts from Woods Hole are responsible for the AUVs optimal performance at depth and their safe handling on the deck. The Waitt Institute owns the REMUS 6000 AUVs and provides overall direction for the CATALYST program. The CATALYST program is an arrangement between WID and WHOI to make this AUV toolkit and its operations team available to scientists who require these tools to conduct important research. CATALYST ONE is the first expression of this program. In addition to the teams of scientists and technicians, a production team from WPBT CHANNEL 2, the Public Broadcasting System affiliate in Miami, Florida is onboard taping the mission for an upcoming series entitled "Changing Seas". GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS So that's the background. We are now on station at our first site of operations. Ship's Captain, George Gunther positioned the ship during transit to take best advantage of the strong Gulf Stream current. As a result, we have arrived over an hour and a half earlier than originally projected. John Reed has conducted an initial transect of the bottom using the ships fathometer to help make a site determination for the first AUV launch. The AUV team is preparing the transponders the vehicles use to guide them on their missions, as well as Vehicle A (Mary Ann) for deployment sometime after midnight. Operations will continue almost around the clock. Stay tuned to @Sea for daily updates on the mission, the remarkable vessel, the vehicles and their crews. @Sea sends greetings to teacher Cristina Veresan and her 7th grade science students at Southport Middle School of Port St. Lucie, FL, who will be following the mission, and will receive a visit from Principal Investigator John Reed after the mission.