Cuba’s Twilight Zone Reefs - Earth.com

Cuba’s Twilight Zone Reefs

08-18-2017


Cuba’s Twilight Zone Reefs Today’s Video of the Day comes from Florida Atlantic University and features an underwater look at Cuba’s Twilight Zone Reefs. The team of researchers used a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) to capture 100 hours of high definition video of Cuba’s never-before-studied mesophotic coral reefs.

This US-Cuba Collaboration of Cuba’s Mesophotic Coral Reefs resulted in an expedition on May 14 to June 13, 2017.  This cruise was set out to map and characterize, the extent and health of mesophotic coral ecosystem (MCEs) along the entire coastline of Cuba. A  total of 21,146 digital still images documented habitat and species.

There is very little known about the distribution, community structure and health of Cuba’s deep mesophotic reefs despite considerable data having been reported regarding the distribution, ecology, and health of Cuba’s shallow reefs world wide. Cuba’s strong marine policies and legislation has already resulted in 105 Marine Protected Areas. Also the  pollution and global warming are threats to these vulnerable ecosystems, as reefs worldwide are threatened.

Deep in the ocean off the coast of Tahiti, scientists made an incredible discovery in November: acres of giant, pristine, rose-shaped corals blossoming from the sea floor in what’s known as the ocean’s “twilight zone.”

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By Rory Arnold, Earth.com

Video Credit: Cuba’s Twilight Zone Reefs Expedition/CIOERT at FAU Harbor Branch

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