IMAGING THE TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MORPHOLOGY OF DEEP REEF FEATURES IN BONAIRE, NETHERLANDS ANTILLES

Coral reefs are one of the most economically valuable and biologically diverse ecosystems on earth. Current trends show that throughout the world, reef health is in decline. Some of the most pristine coral reefs in the Caribbean are located in the waters surrounding Bonaire, in the Netherlands Antilles (Steneck & McClanahan, 2004). The reefs around Bonaire have been shown to extend into deeper water (up to 70m) (Meyer & MacRae, 2006). Through the use of Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Technology (AUVs), these deep reefs may be studied much more efficiently than through the use of SCUBA divers. AUVs were used to collect geospatial reef data in January of 2008. This geoacoustic data (swath bathy and backscatter) is analyzed to determine rugosity, aspect, backscatter, and dominant mechanisms for enhanced reef structure at depth. This research expands on the earlier shallow-water work of Van Duyl and provides a valuable resource to Bonaire's conservation programs.