October 5, 2012
A coral show
BY: Oceana
Today we worked East of Gettysburg. It is here, in the hallway that is between the two mountains, where usually appear most interesting species (and where we tend to see cetaceans). The sea is almost flat.
The day has been long, but complete. We have made dives on a few small elevations of 100-200 m, found on the eastern slope of Gettysburg. In the first, at 510 meters find sponges nest (Pheronema carpenteri) on a background of detrital and hydrocorals (possibly Stylaster SP.) on rocky bottoms.
The second, 400 metres was the most spectacular, with a bottom covered with all kinds of sponges, including many lithistidas, and gorgonians of various species (Callogorgia verticillata, Viminella flagellum, Nicella graniferous, Narella bellissima, etc.), black coral (Leiopathes SP., Antipathes SP., Cirrhipathes SP.), etc.