Schmidt Ocean Institute Expedition Report: Vertical Reef of the Galapagos

Schmidt Ocean Institute Post Expedition Report Vertical Reefs of the Galápagos Chief Scientist Dr. Katleen Robert Table of Contents 1 Overview ..................................................................................... 2 1.1 Expedition Overview ................................................................................ 3 1.2 Authorizations and Permitting ................................................................... 3 1.3 Expedition Timeline ................................................................................. 3 1.4 Expedition Objectives ............................................................................... 3 2 Expedition Accomplishments ....................................................... 4 2.1 At-sea Accomplishments .......................................................................... 4 2.2 Post expedition Activities and Accomplishments ........................................... 4 2.3 Data ...................................................................................................... 5 3 Appendix ..................................................................................... 6 3.1 Science Party Information ......................................................................... 6 3.2 Conferences/Presentations/Posters ............................................................ 7 3.3 Student Projects, Thesis, and Dissertations ................................................. 7 3.4 Cruise Records ........................................................................................ 8 3.5 Media .................................................................................................... 8 3.6 Community Outreach ............................................................................... 8 1 Overview SOI Expedition ID FKt230918 Vessel R/V Falkor (too) Expedition Name Vertical Reef of the Galapagos Expedition Dates 2023/09/18 - 2023/10/19 Departure Port Puerto Ayora, Ecuador Termination Port Golfito, Costa Rica Ocean South Pacific Ocean 1.0.1 Map of Expedition Location Figure 1: Map of Expedition Location. 1.1 Expedition Overview The Galápagos Islands are a UNESCO World Heritage site, with the Galápagos Marine Reserve being one of the largest marine protected areas globally. This reserve hosts an extraordinary variety of cold-water corals (CWC) within a geologically active environment. Although these corals are less studied than shallow-water corals, the subset of cold-water corals inhabiting cliff faces remains particularly unexplored. Additionally, CWC constitutes roughly half the global population of corals. Living in depths between 50 and 6,000 meters, they are distributed widely across the Ocean. The depth and inaccessibility of these vertical habitats pose significant challenges to study, as ship-based sensors often cannot reach them. However, the cliffs’ steepness, coupled with the protections in place, have shielded these ecosystems from trawling and other destructive activities. As such, the cliff-dwelling coral reefs of the Galápagos likely represent these ecosystems in their pristine state and can serve as valuable baselines for understanding environmental changes over time. 1.2 Authorizations and Permitting Permit Number Permit Authority Permit Focus DIRNEA - SNA - 2023-001-O Ecuador Navy Vessel Permit PNG MAATE-DPNG/DGA2023-1174-O Galapagos National Park Science Research PC-51-23 Galapagos National Park Science Research R-045-2023-OT-CONAGEBIO Ecuadorian Government Agency CONAGEBIO Sample Collection 1.3 Expedition Timeline The expedition began on September 18, 2023, departing from Puerto Ayora, Ecuador, and concluded in Golfito, Costa Rica, on October 19, 2023. 1.4 Expedition Objectives The expedition set out to map and characterize this extraordinary ecosystem while defining its environmental drivers. Key objectives included establishing the geological characteristics and formation processes of cliff environments within the Galápagos Islands National Park—areas safeguarded from trawling and other destructive activities due to their vertical orientation and protective status. Another goal was to document coral history to create a baseline for past climatic conditions in the region. Additionally, the team aimed to understand the links between environmental factors, such as cliff orientation, water column dynamics, structural features of vertical coral reef surfaces, and cold-water coral community biodiversity. High-resolution mapping of the study area was also a priority, supporting future research and conservation efforts. 2 Expedition Accomplishments 2.1 At-sea Accomplishments 2.1.1 Science Coral communities on seamounts in the Galápagos and those in Costa Rica In addition to investigating coral biodiversity in the Galápagos, the scientists explored areas within the Isla del Coco National Marine Park, a protected area managed by Costa Rica, to examine links between coral communities on seamounts in the Galápagos and those in Costa Rica. The data collected will inform the management of the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor, a network of interconnected marine reserves managed by the governments of Ecuador, Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia. Mapping 12,892 sq km mapped. 2.1.2 Innovative Technologies The team deployed several advanced technologies, including ultra-high-resolution laser scanning, which has not been widely applied in studying these communities. Shipboard multibeam echosounders provide a smooth representation of rough topography, creating maps with approximately 50to 100-meter resolution. They cannot adequately characterize the vertical dimension of complex 3D seafloor structures. Using an ROV-mounted multibeam system and laser scanner in tandem, the researchers created a bathymetric map and a point cloud of data rather than visual imagery; this can achieve a resolution of fewer than two millimeters and develop a detailed portrait of the vertical environment, revealing both geological and biological components. 2.2 Post-expedition Activities and Accomplishments 2.2.1 Overview In the year following the expedition, principal investigators have recruited students to start analysing datasets. Four students are working on annotating the very diverse fauna observed across the ROV dives carried out. The work is being carried out in the annotation software BIIGLE and coordination across the various teams is taking place to ensure consistency and the ability to merge datasets with other expeditions to the area. A similar process is also taking place to create a merged bathymetry dataset. Video imagery is also being analysed for mapping joints and fractures. Structure from motion image reconstruction of selected features from various dives, focused primarily on volcanic morphology and exposures, dikes, and scarps have also been carried out. Geochemical analyses of rock samples collected during each ROV dive, including major and trace element analyses have been carried out by colleagues at Boise State University. Genetic analysis for the biological samples taken in the Galapagos has been completed by colleagues at the University of Girona and will help inform video annotations. The live stylasterids corals collected during the expedition have been identified to species level where possible. Nine of these live collected stylasterids have now been measured for trace metal content by ICP-MS. Plans are to get the fossil corals samples dated in 2025. review of ROV data imagery and compilation of information regarding the volcanic and structural features encountered during each dive and placing them within the context of other observations from the previous Alvin/Atlantis expedition in spring 2023 (AT50-09). 2.2.2 New Discoveries The science team discovered thriving cold-water coral reefs with a high biodiversity of associated organisms in a marine protected area with little deep-sea scientific information. Two major currents, the cold South Equatorial Current and the warmer Panama Current, flow around them while the Pacific Equatorial Undercurrent interacts directly with the islands. In addition to oceanographic patterns, the Galápagos also provides a valuable laboratory for studying island geology. The islands are built on pedestals of stacked lava flows — some of which are exposed, offering a stratified geological history of the archipelago. The oceanographic complexity of the region plays an essential role in understanding past and future climatic conditions. 2.2.3 Software Utilized ● ESRI ArcMap and ArcPro ● Kongsberg’s SIS ● Voyis’ ViewLS ● Caris HIPS & SIPS ● QPS Fledermaus, FMGT. Qimera 2.3 Data Datasets acquired during this expedition and those derived from the analysis of collected data and samples as of this report’s publication date. Data Type Curator Completed Vessel underway data Rolling Deck to Repository Yes Expedition GIS data Google Earth Yes ADCP University of Hawaii Data Acquisition System Yes Raw multibeam from R/V Falkor Marine Geoscience Data System (MGDS) Yes Rock Samples SESAR Samples with International GeoSample Numbers (IGSN) can viewed here Genetic Analysis Data: Genetic and genomic data GenBank/NCBI/Dryad No All specimen metadata Ministerio del Ambiente, Agua y Transicion Ecologica de Ecuador (MAATE) and Global Biodiversity Information Facility archives. Yes Records of megabenthic fauna records Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS) Yes Data Type Curator Completed Multibeam from ROVmounted multibeam sonars Marine Geoscience Data System (MGDS) Yes Water column profile data from CTD No Water Samples: Physicochemical properties EarthChem, SESAR No 3D point cloud reconstructions, created from laser/SfM ROV data No Annotations of organisms in imagery and video No MISO camera imagery (video and stills) taken from ROV or WHOI-MISO Lander No Table 1. List of all publicly available data. 3 Appendix 3.1 Science Party Information Scientist Institution Katleen Robert Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador Stuart Banks National Oceanographic Centre, UK Emmeline Broad Memorial University of Newfoundland Salome Buglass Charles Darwin Foundation and University of British Columbia Jorge Cortés-Núñez CIMAR-Marine Science and Limnology Research Center and The University of Costa Rica Paulina Sepa-Egas Galapagos Marine Reserve Daniel Fornari Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Rob Hall University of East Anglia Veerle Huvenne National Oceanography Centre in Southampton Claudio Lo Iacono Marine Sciences Institute of the Spanish National Research Council James Kershaw University of Bristol Ariadna Martinez Marine Science Institute in Barcelona Aaron Micallef Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute Salem Morsy University of British Columbia Guillem Corbera Pascual University of Bremen Elsa Salazar Ecuador’s Oceanographic Institute of the Navy Odalisca Breedy Shadid The University of Costa Rica Tim Shank Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Scientist Institution Nathalia Tirado Natural History Collections Andrea Giulia Varzi University of Milano-Bicocca Catherine Wardell National Oceanography Centre in Southampton Ana Belen Yanez Esther Markayata Estefania Altamirano Jennifer Suarez Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland Charles Darwin Foundation Galápagos Marine Park Galápagos Marine Park Table 2. List of scientists and students aboard Falkor (too). 3.2 Conferences/Presentations/Posters ● Robert K, Fornari DJ, Huvenne VAI, Lo Iacono C, Hall RA, Micallef A, Robinson L, Banks S, Yánez Suárez A-B, Kershaw JA, Wardell CA, Cortés J, Shank TM, Broad E, Martinez Dios A, Corbera Pascual G, Varzi AG, Buglass S, Breedy O, Tirado N, Sepa P, Markayata E, Altamirano E, Suarez J, Salazar E (2025) Vertical reefs of the Galápagos: Preliminary results from the FKt230918 expedition. Poster presentation at the Deep-sea Biology Symposium, Hong Kong ● Yánez-Suárez A-B, Cortes J, Buglass S, Banks S, Breedi O, Puig J, Caballero Huertas M, Suquet Pinart M, Hall R, Macayata E, Sepa P, Robert K (2025) Cold-water coral distribution across oxygen minimum zones in the Galapagos Islands and Isla del Coco. Presentation at the Deep-sea Biology Symposium, Hong Kong ● Yánez A-B, Cortés-Núñez J, Breedy O, and Robert K (2024) Preliminary observations of cold-water coral biodiversity and distribution across oxygen minimum zones ion the Galapagos Islands and Isla del Coco preliminary observations, Invited seminar to the Monterey Bay Research Institute ● Robert K, Abylkair N and Morsy S (2024) Benthic animal mapping: Ultra-high-resolution mapping of cold-water coral environments using laser scanning technology, Presentation at GeoHab 2024, Arendal Norway. ● Abylkair N and Robert K (2024) Lighting up the Depths: Integration of Underwater laser scanning Technology for Enhanced Characterization of Cold-Water Coral Ecosystems, Presentation at the Canadian Hydrographic Conference, St John’s, Canada 3.3 Student Projects, Thesis, and Dissertations ● PhD student Ana-Belen YánezSuárez, working on cold-water coral populations within oxygen minimum zones in la Isla de Coco and the Galapagos Islands, supervisor Dr Robert, Memorial University of Newfoundland. ● MSc student Esther Markayata, working on benthic community descriptions of the Cacho de Coral, supervisor Dr Robert, Memorial University of Newfoundland. ● MSc student Dimitrii Herd-Lewis working on the tilt current meter and CTD data, supervisor Dr Hall, University of East Anglia. ● PhD recruitment to work on physical oceanographic data (https://www.ariesdtp.ac.uk/studentships/hall/), supervisor Dr Hall, University of East Anglia. ● Post doctoral fellow Senay Horozal working on mapping joints and fractures to investigate slope instability, supervisor Dr Micallef, University of Malta. ● MSc student Manuja Hendawitharana working on the vertical mapping of cold-water coral communities, supervisor Dr Veerle Huvenne, University of Southampton ● POGO visiting scientist Esraa Elshorbagy and Maryjune Mallari Cabiguin working on describing the benthic invertebrate and fish fauna associated with the coral reef discovered in dives 589 and 592. ● MSc research project carried out by Jackson Vaughn looking at trace metal content of collected stylasterids. 3.4 Cruise Records ● Cruise Blogs. ● ROV SuBastian dives 577-599 list. ● Robert, Katleen and Fornari, Daniel and Huvenne, Veerle and Hall, Rob and Lo Iacono, Claudio and Micallef, Aaron and Robinson, Laura (2023) FKt230918 Cruise Report: September 18th to October 19th, 2023 Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos, Ecuador to Golfito, Costa Rica. Expedition Report. Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. https://doi.org/10.48336/7sjp-t131 3.5 Media ● Story Radio Canada Découverte Galapagos : deux récifs de coraux d'eau froide découverts: https://ici.radiocanada.ca/tele/decouverte/site/segments/reportage/1884383/galapagos-recifscoraux-eau-froide ● Feature in National Geographic Kids Magazine Issue 232 https://pocketmags.com/ca/national-geographic-kids-magazine/issue-232 ● Upcoming feature in National Geographic Kids Book "Weird But True Know-It-All: Weather and Natural Disasters" ● Deep Sea Biological Society Deep-Sea Life, issue22, 2024 "The Galapagos and la Isla del Coco UNESCO World Heritage sites and their deepest hidden treasures https://www.dosi-project.org/wp-content/uploads/DSL22_Feb2024.pdf 3.6 Community Outreach During the course of the expedition a series of educational and outreach activities were carried out involving schools of different nationalities. Weekly Videos ● Oasis of Biodiversity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYQUPMJyZzE ● Deep sea details: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7X2EW9z09w ● Coral Connections: https://youtu.be/VlQEekp4PdE?si=mrefRWQ0uJhJHy-A ● Studying Oxygen Minimum Zones: https://youtu.be/2WRbglQZUl0?si=KRbs1pA85XQKb0wC ● ROV Highlights: https://youtu.be/iBO0gy1GMSM?si=g8siMec_qcziDYDA A"total"of"4"ship-to-shore"online"streaming"(1"in"English"and"3"in"Spanish)"were"performed"with" very"motivated"students"from"Ecuador"and"Canada."During"these,"students"interactively"visited" Falkor'(too)"and"got"the"chance"to"see"in"real-time"the"ROV'SuBastian"underwater"along"with"main" scientific"activities"in"the"lab,"such"as"multibeam"data"cleaning"and"the"processing"of"both"biological" and"fossil"coral"samples."At"the"end,"students"were"eager"to"ask"scientist"many"questions"about" Galápagos"reef"ecosystems"and"daily"ship"routines." ● September"22nd,"15h00"–"Family"and"Friends"of"CDF,"GNP"and"INOCAR ● September"29th,"10h00"–"Charles"Darwin"Foundation ● October"4th,"9h00"-"Explore"by"the"Seat"of"Your"Pants:" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxS7efGMkUA ● October"6th,"9h00"-"Charles"Darwin"Foundation"-"Runakunapak,"Tomás"de"Berlanga"and" Loma"Linda"schools One"member"of"the"scientific"team,"Ariadna"Martinez,"participated"in"Research"in"Action"program" from"the"Catalan"Foundation"for"Research"and"Innovation"(FCRI)"in"collaboration"with"Schmidt" Ocean"Institute."The"Research"in"Action"is"a"scientific"dissemination"portal"with"thousands"of" resources"in"Catalan"for"teachers"and"students"that"aims"to"promote"scientific"culture"and"careers"in" STEM."This"activity"consisted"of"the"following"up"of"a"scientific"blog"narrating"life"onboard"Falkor' (too)"and"most"important"scientific"discoveries."Until"the"end"of"the"expedition,"480"pupils"from"six" schools"across"Catalonia"Region"(Spain)"followed the 8 entries and sent their questions to Ariadna twice a week. A total of eight blog entries were released in Catalan language and can be accessed at https://www.recercaenaccio.cat/ra-aventures-cientifiques/expedicions/exploremels-coralls-a-les-illes-galapagos/. Once the Expedition ended, Research in Action organized a closing act, with visits to three of the schools that participated"in"the"program,"so"students"could" get"first-hand"experience"of"the"expedition.