Page 11: of Marine Technology Magazine (May 2021)

cientists discovered a sea snake berth, capturing the beauty of Ashmore tute of Marine Science, and included thought to be locally extinct and Reef in her paintings created on-board. scientists from the University of West- saw several species such as the She was also able to paint a panel for ern Australia, Curtin University and

Sgreat spotted cowrie (Perisser- the deep-diving robot, SuBastian. The Western Australia Museum with sup- soa guttata) for the ? rst time in the Ash- expedition was led by Australian Insti- port from Parks Australia.

more Reef Marine Park, off Australia, during Schmidt Ocean Institute’s recent 18-day expedition.

A team of scientists, led by Dr. Karen

Miller of the Australian Institute of Ma- rine Science (AIMS), also documented for the ? rst time in high-resolution great diversity in coral-dominated areas, cal- careous algal beds, and sponge gardens, and collected samples that will provide understanding into the biology of deep- water corals.

The science team gained new ecologi- cal insights of mesophotic species and communities in depths between 50- 150 meters using the underwater robot,

ROV SuBastian. “Our observations of the reefs showed the mesophotic zone at Ashmore to be diverse, vibrant, and healthy,” said Dr. Miller. “We found no evidence of coral damage, showing the marine park is helping to preserve this special ecosystem.”

The robot offered the capacity to look at animals and these underwater areas in great detail, unlike previous deep-water survey methods completed in NW Aus- tralia. The dives were streamed live to the public, sharing 148 hours of never- before-seen footage of the Ashmore

Reef seabed, and over 500 high-quality specimens were collected to share inter- nationally for further research.

“Mesophotic ecosystems are hypoth- esized to have signi? cant ecological importance, including the potential to reseed shallow water reefs under envi- ronmental stress, said Dr. Nerida Wilson,

Western Australia Museum. “The ability of these environments to provide a refuge for coral reefs needs critical attention, as all reefs face a range of stressors includ- ing a changing climate. However, it may be that mesophotic environments are unique in their own right.”

Australian artist Ellie Hannon sailed with the scientists in the Artist-at-Sea www.marinetechnologynews.com 11

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