The Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research, and Technology (CIOERT) at FAU Harbor Branch recently led a joint scientific expedition with Cuban colleagues to map and characterize, for the first time, mesophotic coral ecosystems along the entire coastline of Cuba. Prior to this expedition, there was very little known about the extent and the health of Cuba’s deep mesophotic reefs. After more than a year of planning, the 30-day research cruise circumnavigated Cuba and discovered deep coral reefs all along the shelf drop-off.  Read the full article here.

A multi-institutional team of scientists funded by National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science has  published an assessment of the mesophotic coral reefs (75–270 feet deep) located roughly 150 miles off of Florida’s southwest coast. The report summarizes habitat, macrobiota, and fish population data collected during four research cruises from 2012 to 2015 within and adjacent to the Pulley Ridge Habitat Area of Particular Concern and at sites adjacent to the North and South Tortugas Ecological Reserves and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

The researchers are investigating the role that these mesophotic reefs may play in replenishing commercially important fish species, such as grouper and snapper, and other organisms in the shallower, downstream reefs of the Florida Keys. 

Researchers at FAU Harbor Branch have been involved in the Pulley Ridge project for many years. A report summarizing the project, written in part by FAU Harbor Branch's John Reed (lead author), Stephanie Farrington, Josh Voss, Shirley Pomponi and Dennis Hanisak, can be read  here.