OFF THE FLORIDA KEYS (20 Aug 2005) -- A small craft hovers over a slimy purplish red creature feeding on small organisms as a diver combs the dark terrain, scooping up a spineless creature that looks so bizarre, it couldn't possibly be from Earth. The vessel and explorer drift off into the cobalt blue abyss in search of more species. "We've got worms," a voice from the vessel radios to the mother ship, as the sub crosses a field of tubular white invertebrates. A small red grouper swims by, reminding the diver that he's not on Mars or the moon, but exploring a coral reef hundreds of feet deep in the Gulf of Mexico. The reef offers as many questions for scientists as space, but is, to some degree, less explored. Few people have made the 250-foot descent to Pulley Ridge, the deepest coral reef in the continental United States. A submersible vessel made the journey in the late 1990s, allowing scientists to see it. Recently, a few brave souls dove the reef and for the first time man was able to touch it. The trip also led to the most profound research of the area ever, scientists said. A collection of the world's leading coral ecologists, scientists and divers embarked on a scientific armada to Pulley Ridge, 150 miles west of the Dry Tortugas. The goal was to search the sea floor in search of coral, fish and other unusual sea life that call the reef home. Key West naturalist diver and Explorers Club fellow Tim Taylor and Mote Marine Laboratory scientist Jim Culter led a handpicked group of highly experienced "tech divers" to serve as scouts and sample collectors on the expedition. Divers working with scientists explored the bottom in a $1.5 million submersible research vessel and a remote-control vessel. "It's like a beautiful garden," said Sylvia Earle, oceanographer and the National Geographic Society's explorer-in-residence. Scientists are puzzled about how the agaricia coral survive and thrive in deep water with such little light. Other coral reefs lie no deeper than 150 feet, but the Pulley Ridge reef sits below 250 to 275 feet of water, coral ecologist Wes Tunnell said. The answer to Pulley Ridge's coral health could be tied to the relationship between the coral and bioluminescent bacteria. Scientists discovered bacterial strains that glow in the dark and range in intensity and color from a neon green to greenish blue, said Kim Ritchie, manager of microbiology research at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota. | | Intertwined Leptoseris cucullata and Agaricia undada. United States Geological Survey Corals have never been shown to harbor bioluminescent bacterial symbionts. The glowing bacteria might help the coral access additional light. Ritchie speculates that the Pulley Ridge corals could also use the bioluminescence in the bacteria to attract zooplankton, a coral food source, she said. Researchers stumbled across the bacteria while going through samples at night aboard one of the research vessels. "They're incredibly spectacular," Ritchie said. "They light up the corner of my lab, when the lights are out. . . . It's eerie." Scientists are concerned about the fragile reef and some want the government to set it aside as a no-fishing zone and tighten up restrictions on anchoring and trawling. The area was mapped so scientists could identify the most sensitive sections, which could be damaged by trawling gear or anchors. The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council last year created new fishing-gear regulations for 104 square nautical miles surrounding Pulley Ridge. The council also designated a larger area of roughly 2,300 square nautical miles as a "habitat area of particular concern." People fishing at Pulley Ridge cannot drop anchors, fish traps or lobster pots, or use trawling gear or bottom longlines. Earle and Taylor said the time is now to start looking at placing even greater restrictions on the area. Earle said she realizes that there might be some opposition to this, but it is more important to protect the long-term health of this reef and the rest of the Gulf. "Science should transcend politics," Earle said. SOURCE - CNS |
