IV.
Methods
A. Recuperation of Historical Data
Most of the information regarding deep water habitats and associated communities in Puerto
Rico and the U. S. Virgin Islands was produced more than 100 years ago, during the early
ocean exploration surveys that included the Voyage of H. M. S. Challenger during the years
1872-76”, dredging surveys in deep waters of the Caribbean Sea by the U. S. Coast Survey
Steamer “Blake” during 1878-79, and the U. S. Fish Commission “Fish Hawk” Expedition of
1999. The Johnson-Smithsonian Expedition of 1933 sampled the marine communities
associated with the insular slope of the west, north and east coasts of Puerto Rico, including
the initial sounding and dredging surveys of the Puertorrican Trench. In order to recuperate
the information on the taxonomy of species collected, as well as the geophysical and
hydrographic information of deep benthic habitats from Puerto Rico and the USVI contained
in these reports a detailed revision of the original 19
th century and early 20
th century
publications was performed. The following libraries were visited in order to gather the
historical information on deep sea communities of Puerto Rico and the U. S. Virgin Islands:
1. Smithsonian Museum of Natural History Library
2. Library of Congress, Washington, D. C.
3. Library of the Department of the Interior, Washington, D. C.
4. Rosenthiel School of Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences Library, U. Miami
5. Department of Marine Sciences Library, U. Puerto Rico, Mayaguez
6. General Library of the U. Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, Puertorrican Collection
7. Caribbean Fisheries Management Council Publications and Reports Collection
Table 1 presents an author’s directory of taxonomic reports from species collected in deep
sea habitats (> 30 m) during sampling expeditions within the U. S. Caribbean EEZ (Puerto
Rico and the U. S. Virgin Islands).
Additional taxonomic records of sessile and motile megabenthic invertebrates and fishes
reported for deep sea habitats from Puerto Rico and the U. S. Virgin Islands have been
recuperated from a general search of scientific journals and other publications. Taxonomic
megadata of echinoderms reported from Puerto Rico at depths below 30 m was obtained
from the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History Library.
8
Methods
A. Recuperation of Historical Data
Most of the information regarding deep water habitats and associated communities in Puerto
Rico and the U. S. Virgin Islands was produced more than 100 years ago, during the early
ocean exploration surveys that included the Voyage of H. M. S. Challenger during the years
1872-76”, dredging surveys in deep waters of the Caribbean Sea by the U. S. Coast Survey
Steamer “Blake” during 1878-79, and the U. S. Fish Commission “Fish Hawk” Expedition of
1999. The Johnson-Smithsonian Expedition of 1933 sampled the marine communities
associated with the insular slope of the west, north and east coasts of Puerto Rico, including
the initial sounding and dredging surveys of the Puertorrican Trench. In order to recuperate
the information on the taxonomy of species collected, as well as the geophysical and
hydrographic information of deep benthic habitats from Puerto Rico and the USVI contained
in these reports a detailed revision of the original 19
th century and early 20
th century
publications was performed. The following libraries were visited in order to gather the
historical information on deep sea communities of Puerto Rico and the U. S. Virgin Islands:
1. Smithsonian Museum of Natural History Library
2. Library of Congress, Washington, D. C.
3. Library of the Department of the Interior, Washington, D. C.
4. Rosenthiel School of Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences Library, U. Miami
5. Department of Marine Sciences Library, U. Puerto Rico, Mayaguez
6. General Library of the U. Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, Puertorrican Collection
7. Caribbean Fisheries Management Council Publications and Reports Collection
Table 1 presents an author’s directory of taxonomic reports from species collected in deep
sea habitats (> 30 m) during sampling expeditions within the U. S. Caribbean EEZ (Puerto
Rico and the U. S. Virgin Islands).
Additional taxonomic records of sessile and motile megabenthic invertebrates and fishes
reported for deep sea habitats from Puerto Rico and the U. S. Virgin Islands have been
recuperated from a general search of scientific journals and other publications. Taxonomic
megadata of echinoderms reported from Puerto Rico at depths below 30 m was obtained
from the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History Library.
8