Deep-Sea Coral Research and Technology Program: Pacific Islands Deep-Sea Coral and Sponge Initiative Final Report
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Deep-Sea Coral Research and Technology Program: Pacific Islands Deep-Sea Coral and Sponge Initiative Final Report Michael Parke, Christopher Kelley, Meagan Putts, Virginia Moriwaki, Sarah Bingo, Kelley Elliot, John Smith, Anthony Montgomery, Frank Parrish, Sam Kahng, Amy Baco- Taylor, Brendan Roark, and Daniel Wagner U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-PIFSC-117 https://doi.org/10.25923/j6vh-ca45 March 2021 Deep-Sea Coral Research and Technology Program: Pacific Islands Deep-Sea Coral and Sponge Initiative Final Report Michael Parke¹, Christopher Kelley², Meagan Putts², Virginia Moriwaki², Sarah Bingo², Kelley Elliot³, John Smith², Anthony Montgomery⁴, Frank Parrish¹, Sam Kahng⁵, Amy Baco-Taylor⁶, Brendan Roark⁷, Daniel Wagner⁸ ¹ Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, NOAA, 1845 Wasp Boulevard, Honolulu, HI 96818 ² University of Hawaii, 1000 Pope Rd, MSB 229, Honolulu, HI 96822 ³ Office of Exploration and Research, NOAA, 219 Fort Johnson Rd., Silver Spring, MD 29412 ⁴ University of Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, 301 Research Court, Honolulu, HI 99615 ⁵ Hawaii Pacific University, 1 Aloha Tower Dr, Honolulu, HI 96813 ⁶ Florida State University, 600 W College Ave, Tallahassee, FL 32306 ⁷ Texas A&M University, 400 Bizzell St, College Station, TX 77843 ⁸ Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Dr #600, Arlington, VA 22202 NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-PIFSC-117 March 2021 U.S. Department of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Secretary National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Benjamin Friedman, Acting NOAA Administrator National Marine Fisheries Service Paul Doremus, Ph.D., Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries i About this report The Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center of NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service uses the NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-PIFSC series to disseminate scientific and technical information that has been scientifically reviewed and edited. Documents within this series reflect sound professional work and may be referenced in the formal scientific and technical literature. Recommended citation Parke M, Kelley C, Putts M, Moriwaki V, Bingo S, Elliot K, Smith J, Montgomery A, Parrish F, Kahng S, Baco-Taylor A, Roark B, Wagner D. 2021. Deep-sea coral research and technology program: Pacific Islands deep-sea coral and sponge initiative final report U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-PIFSC-117, 123 p. doi:10.25923/j6vh-ca45 Copies of this report are available from Heather Coleman NMFS Office of Habitat Conservation National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 1315 East-West Highway, Room 14201 Silver Spring, MD 20910 or Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center National Marine Fisheries Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 1845 Wasp Boulevard, Building #176 Honolulu, Hawaii 96818 Or online at https://repository.library.noaa.gov/ or http://deepseacoraldata.noaa.gov/library ii Contents Executive Summary .................................................................................................................................... x Acknowledgments .................................................................................................................................... xii Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 1 Major Research Projects ............................................................................................................................. 4 Project 1. Laboratory efforts to compile and synthesize existing data from deep-sea coral and sponge observations in the U.S. Pacific Islands and creation of a system to extract, compile, manage, document, and format both archived and new biological observation data to national program standards for submittal into national deep-sea coral and sponge database. .......................................... 7 Project 2. Field and laboratory efforts to compile and create updated bathymetry and backscatter syntheses of the U.S. Pacific Islands from existing and new EX multibeam backscatter data, along with an interpretive geological substrate map for a limited number of the U.S. Pacific Islands. ....... 10 Project 3: PIFSC multibeam surveys and analysis of bathymetry data from multiple instruments in Am. Samoa, PRIA, HI, and Marianas (focused on < 500 m) ..................................................................... 13 ASRAMP ........................................................................................................................................... 14 HARAMP .......................................................................................................................................... 14 MARAMP .......................................................................................................................................... 15 Project 4. Field efforts to survey and map areas of high abundance and diversity and determine the vertical distribution of deep-sea corals and sponges in the MHI, the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument, American Samoa, and the Pacific Remote Islands Areas (PRIAs). ..... 16 Main Hawaiian Islands and Musicians Seamounts Summary ........................................................... 19 Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (Papahānaumokuākea MNM) Summary ........................................ 28 American Samoa and Cook Islands Summary .................................................................................. 34 Johnston Atoll Summary ................................................................................................................... 43 Wake Atoll Summary ........................................................................................................................ 52 Marianas Archipelago Summary ....................................................................................................... 59 Phoenix Islands and Tokelau Region Summary ................................................................................ 67 Line Islands Regional Summary ........................................................................................................ 71 Project 5. Field and laboratory research to examine the population size-structure, ecology, growth rates, genetics, and distribution of black corals in Hawaii, including the establishment of monitoring sites to sample and study growth and post-harvest recovery rates of SCUBA-accessible black coral populations in the MHI. ...................................................................................................................... 79 iii Project 6. Field surveys of SCUBA-accessible black coral populations in Hawaii and American Samoa to determine taxonomy and distribution of black corals. .................................................................... 84 Project 7. Field and laboratory work to estimate community succession and recruitment rates in new habitat (e.g., lava flow). ...................................................................................................................... 87 Project 8. Instrumentation and environmental monitoring. Field work to collect data on temperature, current direction, and flow rate from deployed instruments in known precious coral beds. .............. 93 Associated research on Pacific Islands deep-sea corals and sponges ..................................................... 97 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................................. 100 Priorities for future deepsea coral work in the US Pacific Islands ....................................................... 102 References............................................................................................................................................... 103 Appendix 1. Publications from PIDSCI, CAPSTONE, and collaborative work .................................... 105 Appendix 2. Combined Corals, Sponges, Associates CAPSTONE Observations ................................. 109 iv List of Tables Table 1. A summary of the 8 characterization report regions and EX cruises. ........................................ 18 Table 2. Summary of animal densities and environmental parameters at each dive site. ......................... 20 Table 3. Summary of contact or attachment substrate for different types of corals and sponges. ........... 24 Table 4. Animal densities by dive ordered from highest to lowest coral and sponge counts per surveyed distance. ........................................................................................................................................ 29 Table 5. Summary of contact or attachment substrate for different types of corals and sponges. ........... 31 Table 6. Summary of animal densities and environmental parameters at each dive site. Note: the CTD failed for a portion of EX1702-07; some temperature and oxygen values were not recorded. .... 35 Table 7. Summary of contact or attachment substrate for different types of corals and sponges. ........... 37 Table 8. Summary of animal densities and environmental parameters at each dive site. ......................... 43 Table 9. Summary of contact or attachment substrate for different types