Do you ever wonder what the seafloor looks like just off Oregon's Coast? With challenging elements keeping most normal people from exploring the wonders of our majestic waters, few ever get to really experience just how interesting they really are. Our friends at Oceana have been doing some cool work to highlight just how complex and diverse these habitats really are.
Oceana recently charted the R/V Miss Linda out of Charleston to operate their Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) so they could get a closer look at interesting habitat in several locations as part of their 2013 Pacific Expedition. The expedition included dives at Siletz Reef (part of the newly designated Cascade Head Marine Reserve & MPA), Daisy Bank, Heceta Bank, and Stonewall Bank. Check out more of the really cool pictures and stories from their dives on their blog here.
Their work was also featured on the news channel KGW, check it out here.
In 2011 Oceana did an expedition to the Southern waters of Oregon's coast and were kind enough to take Oregon Policy Manager Gus Gates along for a cruise one of the days. Their work from the expedition was then published as a report aimed at raising awareness about these important ecological areas, check it out here.
Oceana staff setting up the ROV for deployment from the stern of the R/V Miss Linda. Photo: Gus Gates