Octocorals of the Pinnacles Trend: A species photo-identification guide NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS XXX Disclaimer: This publication does not constitute an endorsement of any commercial product or intend to be an opinion beyond scientific or other results obtained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). No reference shall be made to NOAA, or this publication furnished by NOAA, to any advertising or sales promotion which would indicate or imply that NOAA recommends or endorses any proprietary product mentioned herein, or which has as its purpose an interest to cause the advertised product to be used or purchased because of this publication. Citation for this Report: Shuler AJ and Etnoyer PJ. 2020. Octocorals of the Pinnacles Trend: A species photo-identification guide. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS xxx. 56 pp. Octocorals of the Pinnacles Trend: A photo-identification guide to species Andrew Shuler and Peter Etnoyer NOAA, National Ocean Service National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research 219 Fort Johnson Road Charleston, South Carolina 29412-9110 NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS XXX January 2020 United States Department National Oceanic and National Ocean Service of Commerce Atmospheric Administration Benjamin Friedman Wilbur Ross Deputy Under Secretary Nicole LeBoeuf for Operations Secretary of Commerce and Acting Assistant Acting Administrator Administrator Table of Contents: Introduction _____________________________________________________2 Methods _____________________________________________________3 Acknowledgements _____________________________________________________4 Bebryce cinerea _____________________________________________________5 Bebryce grandis _____________________________________________________7 Carijoa riisei _____________________________________________________9 Hypnogorgia pendula ____________________________________________________11 Leptogorgia violacea ____________________________________________________13 Muriceides hirta ____________________________________________________15 Nicella americana ____________________________________________________17 Nicella sp. nov. ____________________________________________________19 Paramuricea sp. ____________________________________________________21 Placogorgia rudis ____________________________________________________23 Placogorgia tenuis ____________________________________________________25 Scleracis guadalupensis ____________________________________________________27 Scleracis sp. ____________________________________________________29 Swiftia exserta ____________________________________________________31 Thesea citrina ____________________________________________________33 Thesea granulosa ____________________________________________________35 Thesea guadalupensis ____________________________________________________37 Thesea hebes ____________________________________________________39 Thesea nivea ____________________________________________________41 Thesea parviflora ____________________________________________________43 Thesea rubra ____________________________________________________45 Villogorgia nigrescens ____________________________________________________47 Literature Cited ____________________________________________________49 Introduction creates micro-habitats for other sessile invertebrate fauna on the back reefs (Peccini Octocorals [Anthozoa: Alcyonacea] are and MacDonald, 2008). Sea fans contribute colonial anthozoans which exist as sea fans, to marine biodiversity, increase habitat sea whips, sea pens or gelatinous soft corals complexity, and provide refuge for other referred to as ‘true’ soft corals. Despite the marine life, both obligate and endemic variety of forms, octocorals are defined by (Andrews et al., 2002; Roark et al., 2006; polyps with eight pinnate tentacles. Mosher and Watling, 2009; Cordes et al., Collectively, they comprise a diverse 2008). Most importantly though, the refuge assemblage of sessile, benthic suspension they provide for prey species like shrimp, feeders that occur on hard bottom (sea fans, crabs, and small demersal fishes is critical sea whips) and soft bottom (sea pens) habitats support for larger commercially valuable (Bayer, 1954, 1961; Cairns & Bayer, 2009). species that are often protected or tightly Species of Octocorallia have been managed and regulated (Krieger & Wing documented in all of the world’s oceans from 2002, Buhl Mortensen & Mortensen 2005, the shallow sublittoral to the deep abyssal Ross et al 2010). Sea fans are long-lived, zone; however, the diversity of the group slow growing, and fragile (Andrews et al varies across basins. The total number of 2002, Prouty et al 2014). They are susceptible species of octocorals is difficult to derive to many threats (climate change, predation, given the growing number of new species disease, fisheries activities) which make sea documented, likelihood of cryptic species, fans an important indicator of reef and and continued revisions within families ecosystem health (Fisher et al 2014, Sanchez (Bayer, 1981; Williams, 1995; Daly et al., et al 2014). This makes accurate knowledge 2007). However, there are approximately 340 of the range and extent of individual sea fan genera of octocorals from 46 valid families species of paramount importance. (Bayer, 1981; Williams, 1995). Much of the phylogenetic work on Octocorallia has The focus area of this guide is on reefs of the demonstrated a pressing need to revisit the Pinnacles Trend, a belt of discontinuous reef- classification of the species contained therein like structures that stretches from the (McFadden, 2010, Wirshing et al., 2005), Mississippi River Delta to De Soto Canyon. however currently the standard is still the The Pinnacles include hundreds of classifications set forth by Bayer (1981) and topographic features of varying dimensions. Williams (1995). There are nine named reefs in the Pinnacles Trend (Gardner et al., 2000). Of these nine, Of the different varieties of octocorals, sea three were sampled during the Deep Water fans (order Gorgonacea) are among the most Horizon Natural Resource Damage common and conspicuous components of the Assessment (DWH NRDA)(Etnoyer et al. benthos in the Northern Gulf of Mexico 2016). The reefs targeted were Alabama (Rezak et al., 1985; Gittings et al., 1992). Sea Alps Reef (AAR) and Roughtongue Reef fans are an important constituent of the reefs (RTR), which are both large high-relief they inhabit because as suspension feeders platform reefs within the Pinnacles reef tract. they serve as ‘living sediment traps’ that Yellowtail Reef (YTR) is a lower relief reef capture particulate organic matter and reduce adjacent to Roughtongue Reef that was also sedimentation (Sherwood et al 2005). This targeted. filtering combined with the creation of turbulent flow due to their size and shape The objective of this identification guide is 2 | Page to provide documentation of specimens September 15th through September 30th collected from the Pinnacles Trend, using in utilizing the OSV Holiday Chouest. The 2014 situ and ex situ photography, with light cruise ran from June 22nd through July 13th on microscopy and scanning electron the University of Miami R/V Walton Smith. microscopy (SEM). The collection of All three cruises conducted operations along samples utilized from the DWH NRDA does the Pinnacles Trend, primarily targeting not represent a comprehensive census of AAR, RTR, and YTR. For comparison, sites every taxa that could possibly occur in the east of De Soto canyon on the West Florida area. However, it provides edification of the shelf were selected and included Coral Trees most common taxa observed and collected. Reef (CTR), Madison Swanson North Reef The aim of this guide is to help support (MSNR) and Madison Swanson South Reeft video/image based analysis in future surveys (MSSR), however, taxa unique to those of the area. The guide provides remarks locations are not the focus of this document regarding the safe or recommended level of (Figure 1). identification from in-situ imagery. Such knowledge provides a necessary baseline for Both the 2010 and 2014 cruises utilized the future studies investigating these critical same ROV, the Deep Sea Systems organisms. International (DSSI) Global Explorer (Deep Sea Systems International, Cataumet, MA). Methods The ROV utilized in 2011 was provided by Field Sampling Methods UHD Schilling Robotics. The ROVs were all equipped with a selection of two video cameras, and a single still camera. The setup used in 2014 included a pair of 3.8X zoom DSSI Ocean ProHD (1920X1080i, 16:9 format, 3 megapixel cmos chip) video cameras mounted at a slight angle to each other to give 3-D footage and a 10X zoom DSSI Ocean ProHD (1920X1080i, 16:9 format, 3 megapixel cmos chip) camera mounted on the top work bar pointed down at a fixed 70-degree down angle. The 3-D cameras were mounted on a centrally located Figure 1. Map of the primary reefs surveyed during DWH pan and tilt bracket, 61 cm above the bottom NRDA. Pinnacles trend reefs are highlighted in green west of the ROV. Also mounted on the pan-tilt was of De Soto Canyon, while additional reefs sampled east of De Soto Canyon are highlighted in yellow. All reefs are the digital still camera, a 18 megapixel DSSI considered to be located in the NE Gulf of Mexico. DPC-8800. There were four green lasers set in a square configuration centered on the Research cruises to investigate the camera