The ROPOS team is assembled and they are currently loading their gear onto the CCGS Hudson. ROPOS currently sits dockside awaiting loading (top right). As well, scientific staff are beginning to arrive and will begin loading the Hudson with gear on July 6th and 7th. 
The first ROPOS dive will take place in the Gully MPA on July 8th or 9th. This dive will deploy near bottom current meters in areas of high coral density as identified by video collected by ROPOS in 2007. In addition, a species of branching coral, Acanella arbuscula, will be collected for an ongoing study into their reproduction (bottom right).The transect will run in a straight line (down slope) starting at -600 m and ending at a water depth of -1000 m. This transect crosses known Acanella arbuscula locations identified in 2007 (bottom left).
Upon completion of work in the Gully we depart for Flemish Cap. The steam to our first location on the Cap will be a 2.5 day steam from the Gully transect.
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