and grouper fisheries potential were performed during the late 70’s and throughout the
1980’s by the National Marine Fishery Service in collaboration with the local governments of
Puerto Rico, USVI, and the Caribbean Fishery Management Council. These surveys
consisted of at least 11 cruises of the R/V Oregon II, R/V Delaware II and the Seward
Johnson-Sea Link II submersible survey of the insular slope of PR and the USVI in 1985.
The submersible survey provided an unprecedented and exceptional insight of our deep sea
reef communities at depths between 100 – 1250 meters. Despite the generalized
conclusion from these surveys that deep sea fish stocks were depauperate, deep sea
snapper and grouper fisheries still represent the main fisheries resource in terms of catch
and value in the U. S. Caribbean EEZ.
The first quantitative assessment of reef substrate cover by benthic communities from deep
hermatypic reefs of the upper insular slope of PR was produced by Singh et al. (2004) using
the SeaBED Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) off the La Parguera shelf-edge. The
SeaBED AUV is an imaging platform designed for high resolution optical and acoustic
sensing. Scleractinian corals were the dominant sessile-benthic invertebrate at depths
down to 30 m, with maximum reef substrate cover (25 %) at the 24 – 30 m depth interval.
Below 30 m, sponges were the dominant sessile-benthic invertebrate with a mean substrate
cover of less than 10%. Benthic algae, sand and other abiotic substrates prevailed down
the insular slope of La Parguera to a maximum depth of 125 m. Black corals (Antipathes sp.
and Cirrhipathes sp.) were reported from the deepest section of the transect (90-100 m).
The SeaBED AUV imaging platform was used in June 2003 to survey the Hind Bank (MCD)
benthic habitats south of St. Thomas, USVI, at depths between 32 to 54 m. Within the
western side of the MCD, a well-developed deep hermatypic coral reef with 43 % mean
living coral was found. The flattened growth form of boulder star coral, Montastrea annularifranksi was the dominant taxonomic component of the sessile-benthos at all four sites
surveyed in the MCD. Maximum coral cover found was 70 % at depths of 38 - 40 m. A
similar deep hermatypic reef system, known as Black Jack Reef was studied off the south
coast of Vieques, PR. The seamount rises from a depth of 51 m to a reef top at 30 m. A
total of 25 species of scleractinian corals, two antipatharians and one hydrocoral were
identified. Live coral cover averaged 28.8 % (range 25.0 – 40.4 %) within video-transect
areas. Boulder star coral (Montastrea annularis - franski) was the dominant coral species in
terms of substrate cover (mean: 21.9 %), representing 76 % of the total live coral cover at
depths between 36 – 40 meters. Boulder star coral exhibited laminar, or flattened growth
with closely spaced colonies of moderate size and low relief. Corals grow from a pedestal of
unknown origin, creating a large protective habitat underneath the coral.
2
1980’s by the National Marine Fishery Service in collaboration with the local governments of
Puerto Rico, USVI, and the Caribbean Fishery Management Council. These surveys
consisted of at least 11 cruises of the R/V Oregon II, R/V Delaware II and the Seward
Johnson-Sea Link II submersible survey of the insular slope of PR and the USVI in 1985.
The submersible survey provided an unprecedented and exceptional insight of our deep sea
reef communities at depths between 100 – 1250 meters. Despite the generalized
conclusion from these surveys that deep sea fish stocks were depauperate, deep sea
snapper and grouper fisheries still represent the main fisheries resource in terms of catch
and value in the U. S. Caribbean EEZ.
The first quantitative assessment of reef substrate cover by benthic communities from deep
hermatypic reefs of the upper insular slope of PR was produced by Singh et al. (2004) using
the SeaBED Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) off the La Parguera shelf-edge. The
SeaBED AUV is an imaging platform designed for high resolution optical and acoustic
sensing. Scleractinian corals were the dominant sessile-benthic invertebrate at depths
down to 30 m, with maximum reef substrate cover (25 %) at the 24 – 30 m depth interval.
Below 30 m, sponges were the dominant sessile-benthic invertebrate with a mean substrate
cover of less than 10%. Benthic algae, sand and other abiotic substrates prevailed down
the insular slope of La Parguera to a maximum depth of 125 m. Black corals (Antipathes sp.
and Cirrhipathes sp.) were reported from the deepest section of the transect (90-100 m).
The SeaBED AUV imaging platform was used in June 2003 to survey the Hind Bank (MCD)
benthic habitats south of St. Thomas, USVI, at depths between 32 to 54 m. Within the
western side of the MCD, a well-developed deep hermatypic coral reef with 43 % mean
living coral was found. The flattened growth form of boulder star coral, Montastrea annularifranksi was the dominant taxonomic component of the sessile-benthos at all four sites
surveyed in the MCD. Maximum coral cover found was 70 % at depths of 38 - 40 m. A
similar deep hermatypic reef system, known as Black Jack Reef was studied off the south
coast of Vieques, PR. The seamount rises from a depth of 51 m to a reef top at 30 m. A
total of 25 species of scleractinian corals, two antipatharians and one hydrocoral were
identified. Live coral cover averaged 28.8 % (range 25.0 – 40.4 %) within video-transect
areas. Boulder star coral (Montastrea annularis - franski) was the dominant coral species in
terms of substrate cover (mean: 21.9 %), representing 76 % of the total live coral cover at
depths between 36 – 40 meters. Boulder star coral exhibited laminar, or flattened growth
with closely spaced colonies of moderate size and low relief. Corals grow from a pedestal of
unknown origin, creating a large protective habitat underneath the coral.
2