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OCULINA EXPEDITION 2005 Characterizing a Deep Coral Ecosystem and Assessing the Effectiveness of the Oculina Experimental Closed Area MISSION DISPATCH 9 October 20, 2005 OHAPC - Gulf Stream, off the east coast Florida Management of the Oculina Bank: In 1984, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) recognized the special significance of the deep sea coral habitat of the Oculina Bank and designated it as the Oculina Habitat Area of Particular Concern (OHAPC). This action closed 316-square-kilometers (92 square nautical miles) of the Bank to trawling, dredging, long-lining, and trapping. Additional restrictions apply to anchoring and possession of rock shrimp and Oculina while in this area. 
In 1994, the SAFMC created the Experimental Oculina Research Reserve, later renamed to the Oculina Experimental Closed Area (OECA), which closed the OHAPC area to all bottom fishing for 10 years. No person may fish for snapper-grouper species in the OECA or retain snapper-grouper in or from this area. This area was closed in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the reserve for the management and conservation of reef fish, in particular the recovery of fish populations and grouper spawning aggregations. In 2000, the OHAPC was expanded north to Cape Canaveral and is now over 1000 square kilometers. In 2004, the Council decided to keep both the OECA and OHAPC in place indefinitely with reviews in 2007 and 2014-important milestones for new information! 
Science: The primary purpose of the 2005 Ivory Tree Coral Expedition was to collect information on the OECA and OHAPC needed to evaluate their effectiveness. Specific objectives included: to create a habitat map for the OHAPC and adjacent open areas; and to document coral cover and fish populations in all the major habitat types inside and outside the closed areas. The science team, led by Andy Shepard, designed the expedition to collect information that will help scientists and resource managers identify all habitats that support fishery resources of the OHAPC. Nineteen ROV dives, 20 grab samples and three acoustic surveys were conducted. Approximately 44 linear kilometers of seafloor were surveyed, which is about 0.02 square kilometers (a very small percentage of the total reserve area). This map and data are critical first steps in building a long-term monitoring program that can answer the Council's need over the next ten years. Scientist Profile: Andy Shepard is a Co-Investigator and Chief Scientist on the 2005 Expedition. As the Director of the NOAA Undersea Research Center at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, his ocean science interests include: undersea technology development and applications, fish ecology, impacts of fishing gear on seafloor habitats, deep water coral communities, and research on marine protected areas. He served as Chief Scientist on more than 30 undersea research expeditions, including several cruises to the OHAPC over the past five years. As Chief Scientist on the 2005 Expedition, Shepard oversees the science team and decisions regarding the dive locations, treatments, and data collection. Several months of preparation were required for this mission and over this period of time tasks included drafting a research proposal and acquiring sufficient funds, planning how to best utilize the resources and forming a team of capable individuals to support the cruise objectives. This trip cost over $74,000 for the time at sea alone, not including pre-mission planning or post-mission analysis. 
Further Management of the OHAPC? Shepard acknowledges that a grassroots effort exists that supports designating the OHAPC and connected marine ecosystems as a National Marine Sanctuary. However, he clarifies that his objectives are solely to establish a monitoring program and provide scientific data that will help NOAA and the South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council manage the OHAPC. Shepard notes that the information and knowledge we provide on our research cruises is funded by the public and is available to anyone who asks, regardless of their agenda and interests. As a NOAA scientist, Shepard's objective is to restore and sustain regional environmental resources for generations to come. As a NOAA funded scientist, Shepard is also frequently asked to give presentations to local interest groups during his travels to the Canaveral region. By request, these presentations described: 1) the value of coastal and ocean resources in the region, from the Indian River Lagoon to the deep coral banks, and the interconnectivity of these resources; and 2) information on what constitutes a national marine sanctuary. Closing Thoughts: Scientists onboard the Liberty Star made several important observations on this expedition to the OHAPC including evidence of illegal fishing, in the form of abandoned fishing gear ("ghost gear"). Although the data needs to be analyzed, fewer live mounds of coral were encountered than expected. On the upside, some species of fish that have been experiencing declines in population numbers are appearing on the reef once more. For example, black sea bass, snowy grouper, and rock hind, which have been rarely observed on the reef in recent years, were seen during the ROV dives on this expedition. This is a promising event, and hopefully, we will see a return of larger numbers of these fish on the reef. The ROV dives also clarified that what we expect to see and what we actually observe on the reefs are not the same. For instance, we found living coral thickets in some flat, sandy areas. 
In the true spirit of science, our observations inspired more questions that require answers, such as why are there thickets of dead standing coral? What are the natural causes of death for Oculina coral? Do the hydroids and sponges observed on coral rubble interfere with coral recruitment, or do they help it by binding together dead coral into standing dead colonies? What are the mechanics of the physical oceanographic conditions observed along the Oculina Bank? According to Shepard, a baseline habitat map is at least two years away from completion, assuming funding is available. A complete habitat map will not only provide a useful tool for research scientists, but also for resource managers wishing to evaluate the effectiveness of the protective regulations of the OHAPC. An effective resource monitoring program not only requires adequate information, such as accurate habitat maps, but also requires appropriate monitoring methods. While ROVs are very good for performing random transects over habitat, they are not the best tool for repeated monitoring needs. An effective monitoring program needs both random transects and site specific, repeated measures in order to be effective. Overall, the expedition was a resounding success, blessed with spectacular weather conditions. The enthusiastic public interest in this expedition, in Port Day, and in the OHAPC is encouraging for the future of this valuable and unique deep water ecosystem. Acknowledgements: Thanks to the many people that made this entire expedition possible, including: The teachers and students of Brevard, Indian River, and St. Lucie Public Schools Cpt. Bren Wade and the crew of the Liberty Star Joe Chaput, United Space Alliance (USA) Chris Holland, USA Paula Click, USA Pat Mecouch, USA Tracy Yates, USA Cindy Oates, USA Poppy Dennis, Marshall Space Flight Center Jennifer Aranda, Johnson Space Center Karen Kohanowich, NOAA-NURP Pam Whitlock, University of North Carolina-Wilmington Kim Iverson, South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council Jack Mullen, USA Tara Fell, Port Canaveral Port Authority Lt. Jeff Sidor and the crew of the CT Randall Richard Chesler, NOAA Enforcement Jim Wharton, Smithsonian Marine Station at Ft. Pierce Mary Clark, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (HBOI) Mark Schrope, HBOI We thank everyone involved in this expedition for their enthusiasm, good humor, and support and apologize if we left your name out of the list! Stand by for more cruises!!! 
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