The Great Australian Deep-Sea Coral and Canyon Adventure

Rising water temperatures and increasing carbon dioxide concentrations remain among the greatest threats to ocean ecosystems globally. This warming trend and associated ocean acidification poses a unique threat to species that use calcium carbonate to build their shells or skeletons, such as corals. While significant research has been dedicated to examining the effects of changing ocean dynamics on coastal reefs – this January Dr. Julie Trotter, University of Western Australia, and her team, will join Falkor to look deeper.

This expedition will be of great significance, as SOI and the science team undertakes the first ROV-based deep sea exploration of submarine canyons that have formed offshore southwestern Australia. For the first time, these unique deep-sea canyons will be documented, imaged, and strategically sampled by ROV SuBastian. Sampling will not only be for identifying yet to be discovered species, but also to undertake comprehensive, high-resolution geochemical analyses of, for example, coral skeletons post-cruise. Deep-sea ROV technology is unavailable to Australian researchers, making this expedition a true voyage of discovery.

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Western Australian Museum
Arc centre of Excellence - Coral Reef Studies CRS

Data & Publications

Annotated imagery is available in Squidle+. [You may have to create a username and password to access full capabilities]. To view images from this cruise, click SELECT DEPLOYMENTS, and choose FK200126.

ADCP data has been processed and archived by UHDAS.

Environmental sensor data is archived at Rolling Deck to Repository.

ROV data, Falkor navigation, Google Earth visualizations, and processed multibeam is archived at MGDS.

Preliminary physico-chemical water column data collected from CTD casts, can be found in this spreadsheet.

Processed multibeam data is archived at MGDS.

Water Column Chemistry Data has been archived at Australian Ocean Data Network.

  • 30 day Preliminary Post Cruise Report: The Great Australian Deep-sea Coral and Canyon Adventure
  • Final Cruise Report: ROV Exploration of Deep-water Coral Habitats of Southwest Australian Submarine Canyons
  • Beaman, R., Picard, K., and Miller, A. (2022). RV Falkor Surveys in Australia 2020-2021. Oral Presentation and Conference Paper, Hydrospatial 2021 Conference, Australasian Hydrographic Society, Cairns, Australia. [Abstract and presentation are OPEN ACCESS].
  • Trotter, J., McCulloch, M., D'Olivo, J., Tisnérat-Laborde, N., Taviani, M., and Montagna, P. (2022).  Deep-water Coral Records of Glacial and Recent Ocean-atmosphere Dynamics from the Perth Canyon in the Southeast Indian Ocean. Quaternary Science Advances, 6, doi: 10.1016/j.qsa.2022.100052. [This articel has been published OPEN ACCESS].
  • Trotter, J., Taviani, M., Foglini, F., Sadekov, A., Skrzypek, G., Mazzoli, C., et al. (2022). Unveiling Deep-sea Habitats of the Southern Ocean-facing Submarine Canyons of Southwestern Australia. Progress in Oceanography, 209, doi: 10.1016/j.pocean.2022.102904. [This article has been published as OPEN ACCESS with support from SOI].
  • Taviani, M., Foglini, F., Castellan, G., Montagna, P., McCulloch, M., and Trotter, J. (2023). First assessment of anthropogenic impacts in submarine canyon systems off southwestern Australia. Science of the Total Environment, 857 (1), doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159243. [This article has been published as OPEN ACCESS with support from SOI].
  • Stewart, A., Pietsch, T., Moore, J., Peng, X. (2023). Upside-down swimming: in situ observations of inverted orientation of Gigantiactis, with a new depth record for the Ceratioidei. Journal of Fish Biology, doi: 10.1111/jfb.15609.
  • Final Expedition Report: The Great Australian Deep-sea Coral and Canyon Adventure
  • Taviani, M., Montagna, P., Hosie, A.,Castellan, G., Kemper, C., Foglini, F., McCulloch, M., and Trotter, J. (2024). Whale fall chemosymbiotic communities in a southwest Australian submarine canyon fill a distributional gap. Heliyon, 10(8), doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29206. [This article has been published as OPEN ACCESS with support from SOI].  
  • Ekins, M., and Wilson, N. (2024). New carnivorous sponges (Porifera: Cladorhizidae) from Western Australia, collected by a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). Scientific Reports, 14, 22173, doi: 10/1038/s41598-024-72917-8. [This article has been published OPEN ACCESS courtesy of SOI].

Live ROV Footage

  • 30 day Preliminary Post Cruise Report: The Great Australian Deep-sea Coral and Canyon Adventure
  • Final Cruise Report: ROV Exploration of Deep-water Coral Habitats of Southwest Australian Submarine Canyons
  • Beaman, R., Picard, K., and Miller, A. (2022). RV Falkor Surveys in Australia 2020-2021. Oral Presentation and Conference Paper, Hydrospatial 2021 Conference, Australasian Hydrographic Society, Cairns, Australia. [Abstract and presentation are OPEN ACCESS].
  • Trotter, J., McCulloch, M., D'Olivo, J., Tisnérat-Laborde, N., Taviani, M., and Montagna, P. (2022).  Deep-water Coral Records of Glacial and Recent Ocean-atmosphere Dynamics from the Perth Canyon in the Southeast Indian Ocean. Quaternary Science Advances, 6, doi: 10.1016/j.qsa.2022.100052. [This articel has been published OPEN ACCESS].
  • Trotter, J., Taviani, M., Foglini, F., Sadekov, A., Skrzypek, G., Mazzoli, C., et al. (2022). Unveiling Deep-sea Habitats of the Southern Ocean-facing Submarine Canyons of Southwestern Australia. Progress in Oceanography, 209, doi: 10.1016/j.pocean.2022.102904. [This article has been published as OPEN ACCESS with support from SOI].
  • Taviani, M., Foglini, F., Castellan, G., Montagna, P., McCulloch, M., and Trotter, J. (2023). First assessment of anthropogenic impacts in submarine canyon systems off southwestern Australia. Science of the Total Environment, 857 (1), doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159243. [This article has been published as OPEN ACCESS with support from SOI].
  • Stewart, A., Pietsch, T., Moore, J., Peng, X. (2023). Upside-down swimming: in situ observations of inverted orientation of Gigantiactis, with a new depth record for the Ceratioidei. Journal of Fish Biology, doi: 10.1111/jfb.15609.
  • Final Expedition Report: The Great Australian Deep-sea Coral and Canyon Adventure
  • Taviani, M., Montagna, P., Hosie, A.,Castellan, G., Kemper, C., Foglini, F., McCulloch, M., and Trotter, J. (2024). Whale fall chemosymbiotic communities in a southwest Australian submarine canyon fill a distributional gap. Heliyon, 10(8), doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29206. [This article has been published as OPEN ACCESS with support from SOI].  
  • Ekins, M., and Wilson, N. (2024). New carnivorous sponges (Porifera: Cladorhizidae) from Western Australia, collected by a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). Scientific Reports, 14, 22173, doi: 10/1038/s41598-024-72917-8. [This article has been published OPEN ACCESS courtesy of SOI].

In the News

Ground-breaking 32-day journey explores never before seen depths of Bremer Bay Canyon

The University of Western Australia News • April 2, 2020

Feast Your Eyes on Australia’s Newly Explored Depths

Scientific American • March 26, 2020

Explorers find new species in Bremer Canyon expedition

The Western Australian • March 20, 2020

Colourful gardens thrive in canyon’s deeps

Subiaco Post • March 7, 2020

Beneath Bremer Bay: WA Museum’s Andrew Hosie on the underwater discoveries of the R/V Falkor

Mornings with Gianfranco Di Giovanni – ABC Great Southern • March 2, 2020

Deep-Sea Coral Gardens, Graveyards Discovered Off Australia

Marine Technology News • February 28, 2020

Amazing creatures of the deep seen off SW Australia

LiveScience (YouTube Channel) • February 28, 2020

Rare underwater video captures whale fall

MSN Network – GeoBeats • February 19, 2020

First Look At Bremer Canyon Seafloor

ABC Great Southern (Australian Broadcasting Company) • February 11, 2020

Schmidt Ocean Institute’s RV Falkor bound for deep-sea discoveries in WA’s Bremer Bay canyon

ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Company) • January 28, 2020

Expedition to the Depths Of the Ocean is About to Start

Hydro International • January 22, 2020

OI team prepare for an expedition of epic proportions

UWA News (University of Western Australia) • January 21, 2020

Research Vessel Falkor – See maritime science at work.

Australian National Maritime Museum • January 8, 2020

New Ocean Frontiers

9 News Sydney • January 6, 2020

New Ocean Frontiers

9 News Sydney • January 6, 2020

Breakfast with Josh Szeps (starts at 2:56:15)

ABC Radio Sydney • January 8, 2020