19-07-2025
Mystic Aquarium scientist to lead research expedition to underwater canyons ‘deeper than the Grand Canyon'
Mystic Aquarium 'will lead an interdisciplinary team of scientists on an oceanographic research expedition to study vibrant marine life, biodiversity, and the changing ocean environment within the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument (monument),' aquarium officials said.
The scientists 'will study predator-prey interactions, collect and identify gelatinous zooplankton, conduct seabird population surveys, and collect environmental DNA to measure biodiversity,' according to Mystic Aquarium. They will travel on the Research Vessel Connecticut to explore the monument and collect data.
'Dr. Peter Auster, Scientist-in-Residence at Mystic Aquarium and Research Professor Emeritus at the University of Connecticut, will lead the expedition,' according to Mystic Aquarium. 'The team is comprised of scientists and educators representing organizations including Yale University, University of Rhode Island, University of Connecticut, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.'
The monument, a government-established marine protected area, is 'the first and only Marine National Monument off the continental United States,' according to the aquarium. It ' features three underwater canyons deeper than the Grand Canyon' as well as four seamounts, or extinct volcanoes, 'that rise higher than any mountain east of the Rockies.'
The environment allows refuge for marine life, according to Mystic Aquarium, which includes 'endangered marine mammals, sea turtles, seabirds, and many species of rare and fragile deep-sea corals, some thousands of years old.'
'The monument is located approximately 130 miles off Cape Cod and spans an area roughly the size of Connecticut,' according to the aquarium.
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'The monument is a living laboratory, sitting in an undisturbed, remote location where migrating whales, sea turtles, sea birds and other species representing a large portion of the food web gather to eat, breed, and find shelter,' said Dr. Peter Auster, the expedition's chief scientist and principal investigator. 'As our oceans are rapidly changing, MPAs like the monument allow us to collect essential data to inform conservation strategies.'
'Marine protected areas are one of the most valuable ocean research and conservation tools we have, offering an unmatched opportunity to study how the ocean works in the absence of human disturbance and showcase its rich biodiversity,' said Katie Cubina, Education and Outreach Consultant for Mystic Aquarium. 'There is something in the ocean for everyone, whether it's the protection of endangered marine animals, scientific discoveries, or simply appreciating its intrinsic beauty.'
Want to follow along the expedition? Check out 'Mystic Aquarium's Instagram account and tune into a livestream event via YouTube' on thursday, July 24 at 1 p.m. according to the aquarium.
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