Last month we shared a story from the Deep Reefs of Ningaloo Canyon, where Dr. Nerida Wilson, of the Western Australian Museum, and her team have recorded up to 30 new species. The expeditions continues within Australia’s largest marine reserve, the Coral Sea Marine Park, one of the world’s largest continental margin plateaus at nearly 300,000 square
kilometers.
Using ROV SuBastian, the dives are being live-streamed for viewers at home on Facebook, Youtube, and on the Schmidt Ocean Institute website for free. You can also view the three dives that have already taken place here.
The team is now calling on all interested scientists, especially those from the mesophotic and deep-sea coral community to join in remotely and provide comments during the dives!
The Queensland plateau contains 30 large coral atolls including
the famed Osprey Reef, Lihou Reef, and Diamond Islets. Virtually unmapped and mostly unexplored beyond the shallower parts of these reefs, Dr. Robin Beaman, James Cook University, and a team of scientists from Geoscience Australia, The University of Sydney, and the Queensland Museum are currently working remotely with Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V *Falkor* to conduct unprecedented mapping and exploration of the Queensland Plateau.
The dive schedule is based on mapping result and dives will be announced through the @SchmidtOcean social platforms (Facebook and Twitter), and to subscribers on our @SchmidtOcean YouTube page.
This research is part of a year-long initiative by Schmidt Ocean Institute to conduct several science expeditions around the Australian continent. The Visioning the Coral Sea expedition will provide insight into the geological evolution and biodiversity of Australia’s marine frontier. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.
For more information visit the expedition page here. The expedition will run through June 15th, 2020.
