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The "Atlantic Canyons" interagency team which included members from NOAA, BOEM, and the USGS recently received the "Excellence in Partnering Award" from the NOPP.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) were awarded the National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP) 2015 Excellence in Partnering Award at the Ocean Sciences Meeting in New Orleans on February 23, for their work in conceiving, managing and conducting the “Atlantic Canyons: Pathways to the Abyss” project. 

 Image shows a bent metal piece from a shipwreck covered by hundreds of catsharks.
Hundreds of catsharks, or chainlink dogfish, rest on one of the "Billy Mitchell" Fleet shipwrecks. The shipwreck has also been occupied by colonies of anemones, starfish, and hydroids. 
Picture shows three scientists holding a metal push core in preparation to extract the sediment sample.
U.S. Geological Survey scientists (left to right) Jennifer McClain-Counts, Jill Bourque, and Amanda Demopoulos prepare to extract a sediment sample from one of the push cores deployed by the Jason II remotely operated vehicle. 

Through collaboration, all three Federal agencies accomplished what none could have done alone. This multi-year effort leveraged the resources of BOEM, USGS, NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 12 universities and research institutions, and two companies, to explore Baltimore and Norfolk Canyons about 60 miles offshore of Maryland and Virginia. The work took place under the NOPP research umbrella. 

Picture shows a orange squat lobster resting on top of a variety of pink, orange, and white coral.
Deep-sea coral communities can be very diverse. Here a squat lobster rests among a bubblegum coral, a red tree coral, and a sponge. A brisingid seastar arm is also visible. 

The research findings are significant and depict a biologically rich region that had not been fully explored in the past, including historically important shipwrecks, extensive deep-sea coral communities, and a vast methane-seep ecosystem. Learn more about the project’s history and discoveries by watching the 23-minute high-definition video, “Pathways to the Abyss.” 

Remote image Url
Picture shows the ROV Jason being lowered by a crane off the side of a research ship.
ROV Jason is launched from NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown. 

Participating USGS scientists from across the nation and multiple research programs being recognized for their part of the Atlantic Canyon project include: Matthew Andersen, Jonathan Borden, Jill Bourque, Colleen Charles, Olivia Cheriton, Hillary Close, Katharine Coykendall, Amanda Demopoulos, Michael Gray, Christina Kellogg, Stephanie Lawler, Jennifer McClain-Counts, Cheryl Morrison, Nancy Prouty, Kurt Rosenberger, and Pamela Swarzenski. 

The team received another major award in January 2014, when Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell presented them with the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) Partners in Conservation Award

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