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. 2019 May 7:7:e33091.
doi: 10.3897/BDJ.7.e33091. eCollection 2019.

First visual occurrence data for deep-sea cnidarians in the South-western Colombian Caribbean

Luisa F Dueñas  1   2 , Cristina Cedeño-Posso  3 , Alejandro Grajales  4 , Santiago Herrera  5 , Estefanía Rodriguez  4 , Juan Armando Sánchez  6 , Jorge Leon  2 , Vladimir Puentes  2
Affiliations

First visual occurrence data for deep-sea cnidarians in the South-western Colombian Caribbean

Luisa F Dueñas et al. Biodivers Data J. .

Abstract

Background: Attention to the deep-sea environment has increased dramatically in the last decade due to the rising interest in natural resource exploitation. Although Colombia holds a large submerged territory, knowledge of the seabed and its biodiversity beyond 1,000 m depth is very limited. During 2015-2017, Anadarko Colombia Company (ACC) carried out hydrocarbon exploratory activities in the South-western Colombian Caribbean, at depths between 375 m and 2,565 m.

New information: Capitalising on available data resources from these activities, several cnidarian species were observed in ROV and towed camera surveys. We analysed over nine hours of video and 5,066 still images from these surveys, identifying organisms to the lowest possible taxonomic level. The images and associated data presented here correspond to 108 observations of deep-sea cnidarians, including seven new records for the Colombian Caribbean. Given the paucity of research and funding to explore the deep-sea in Colombia, the present dataset comprises the largest deep-sea Cnidaria imagery inventory to date for the Colombian Caribbean.

Keywords: Benthic; Biodiversity; DwC-A; Marine; Remote Operated Vehicle-ROV; Soft Bottom; Tow Camera.

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Figures

Figure 1a.
Figure 1a.
Schematic representation of the ROV transects is cross-fashion. Red circle denotes the location of the well or transponder.
Figure 1b.
Figure 1b.
Example of a snapshot taken from the ROV video, depicting a specimen of Poralia rufescens.
Figure 2a.
Figure 2a.
Original photograph of a cerianthid (subclass Ceriantharia) obtained from the tow camera.
Figure 2b.
Figure 2b.
Cropped photograph that includes only the organism and colour cast corrected using the Auto Tone function.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Geographical location of the sites surveyed at the South-western Colombian Caribbean. Blue circles depict the wells and red circles correspond to other surveyed areas.
Figure 4a.
Figure 4a.
Corallimorphus sp.
Figure 4b.
Figure 4b.
Phelliactis sp.
Figure 4c.
Figure 4c.
Adamsia sp. on a hermit crab (Sympagurus pictus)
Figure 4d.
Figure 4d.
Bathypathes cf. patula
Figure 4e.
Figure 4e.
Umbellula sp.
Figure 4f.
Figure 4f.
Epizoanthus cf. stellaris growing over a glass sponge (Hyalonema sp.) stalk
Figure 5a.
Figure 5a.
Crossota millsae
Figure 5b.
Figure 5b.
Voragonema pedunculata
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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