To characterize the microbial community associated with the deep-sea coral Lophelia pertusa
Location
Gulf of Mexico
Summary
Two colonies of the deep-sea coral Lophelia pertusa were sampled from the Ewing wreck and two colonies from the Gulf Penn wreck. Coral tissue was preserved in RNAlater(r) for microbial DNA extraction in St. Petersburg.
Info derived
Bacterial-community species composition and presence of specific functional genes
Comments
Shop Time: Kellogg used the shop to construct two milkcrate-based samplers (4 days, utilized saw, drill, hand tools). Dave Wegner drilled and shaped the container caps (~1 hour).
Platform
ROV Jason
Two-body ROV system. A 10-kilometer (6-mile) reinforced fiber-optic cable delivers electrical power and commands from the ship through Medea and down to Jason, which then returns data and live video imagery. Medea serves as a shock absorber, buffering Jason from the movements of the ship, while providing lighting and a bird’s eye view of the ROV during seafloor operations. Jason is equipped with sonars, video and still imaging systems, lighting, and numerous sampling systems.
