GEOMORPHOLOGY OF INTRASLOPE TERRACES, EASTERN BLAKE PLATEAU

NOAA Ocean Exploration and Research set out on June of 2018, to better understand, manage, and protect deep sea coral and sponge habitats along the south-eastern U.S. continental margin. The Windows to the Deep 2018 expedition aboard the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer produced high definition video collected by the remotely operated vehicle, Deep Discoverer. Multibeam sonar data collected using a Kongsberg sonar system proved high resolution bathymetry and backscatter intensity surfaces. Examining the geomorphology of Intraslope Terraces along the continental margin’s Blake Escarpment to classify deep sea coral and sponge habitats based on the slope and backscatter intensity. A very slight correlation (R2 =0.296) between high sloping areas and high return backscatter intensity was found. Sponges and corals were found high sloping areas along hard rocks suggesting that. Future dive sites can be identified by using backscatter intensity and slope of Intraslope Terraces.