Research Technical Report

Profiles of Activities
Deep Coral Communities
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOAA Deep Coral Communities Team
NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program
(August 2005)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Overview: Given NOAA's resource management responsibilities and the expense of deep-sea operations, the agency has a vested interest in fostering the integration of efforts that further the understanding of deep coral communities. This document provides an overview of NOAA deep coral communities related activities, with the purpose of supplying a tool for identifying connections and potential collaborations among programs. It contains profiles for 18 program offices, science centers, and sanctuaries that include information on recent and upcoming deep coral community activities (FY 2003-2006). It is intended to be an evolving document, used to solicit additional input from other NOAA programs involved in deep coral community issues. The document will be updated periodically as additional profiles are submitted. If you are interested in contributing information from your organization to this report, please review Appendix F. Profile Template and Instructions, and contact Tim Birdsong (301.713.9444 x120, Timothy.Birdsong@noaa.gov) or Gabrielle Dorr (301.713.0299 x193, Gabrielle.Dorr@noaa.gov).