A pictorial guide to the epibenthic megafauna of Orphan Knoll (northwest Atlantic) identified from in situ benthic video footage

In 2010, Fisheries and Oceans Canada led a multidisciplinary oceanographic research mission onboard the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Hudson to the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization Regulatory Area to collect benthic imagery and geological data in support of the identification of vulnerable marine ecosystems. Using the remotely operated vehicle ROPOS, six benthic video transects were collected on Orphan Knoll, a submerged circular continental fragment located 550 km northeast of St. John’s, Newfoundland. High-resolution video footage, digital still images, and specimen samples were collected between 1655 and 3004 m depth across the flanks and plateau of the knoll and Orphan Seamount. In 2007, the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization implemented a ~15,800 km2 closure over Orphan Knoll to restrict the use of bottom tending fishing gear in accordance with United Nations General Assembly Resolution 61/105. However, at the time, its benthic communities and the presence of vulnerable marine ecosystems had not been fully assessed. Wudrick et al. (2020) published a pictorial guide to the epibenthic megafauna enumerated and taxonomically identified from five ROPOS transects collected on Orphan Knoll and Orphan Seamount. Here we provide downloadable images for each taxon identified, and the location files for each transect analyzed (in ARCGIS format). WUDRICK, A., L. BEAZLEY, T. CULWICK, C. GOODWIN, P. CARDENAS, J. XAVIER, & E. KENCHINGTON, 2020. A Pictorial Guide to the Epibenthic Megafauna of Orphan Knoll (northwest Atlantic) Identified from In Situ Benthic Video Footage. Canadian Technical Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 3375: v + 154 p.2010年，加拿大渔业与海洋部（Fisheries and Oceans Canada）牵头开展多学科海洋学研究任务，搭乘加拿大海岸警卫队“哈德逊”号（Canadian Coast Guard Ship Hudson）前往西北大西洋渔业组织（Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization）管辖海域，采集底栖影像与地质数据，以支撑脆弱海洋生态系统（vulnerable marine ecosystems）的识别工作。研究团队借助远程操作载具ROPOS（remotely operated vehicle），在位于纽芬兰圣约翰斯东北550公里处的沉没圆形大陆断块——孤儿海丘（Orphan Knoll）上完成了6条底栖视频样带的采集。在该海丘的侧翼、台地以及孤儿海山（Orphan Seamount）的1655至3004米水深区间内，研究团队采集了高分辨率视频片段、数字静态图像与标本样品。 2007年，西北大西洋渔业组织依据联合国大会第61/105号决议，在孤儿海丘周边划定了约15800平方公里的禁渔区，禁止使用底栖作业渔具。但当时该区域的底栖群落与脆弱海洋生态系统尚未得到全面评估。 Wudrick等人（2020）发表了一份图解指南，对在孤儿海丘与孤儿海山采集的5条ROPOS样带中统计并分类鉴定的表栖大型底栖生物（epibenthic megafauna）进行了系统梳理。本数据集提供了所有已鉴定类群的可下载图像，以及每条分析样带的位置文件（格式为ARCGIS格式）。 Wudrick, A., L. Beazley, T. Culwick, C. Goodwin, P. Cardenas, J. Xavier, & E. Kenchington, 2020. 《基于原位底栖视频影像鉴定的西北大西洋孤儿海丘表栖大型底栖生物图解指南》. 加拿大渔业与水产科学技术报告 3375：v + 154 页。