The ChEReef is a pluri-annual project, which main goal is to assess and predict the health status of Cold-Water Corals in the Lampaul canyon through:
1) Mapping the canyon and its habitats. We are using an AUV to map the full canyon at metric resolution and an ROV to explore the canyon and produce 3D mosaics of key coral habitats.
2) Monitoring coral habitats, coral colonies and coral polyps for 5 years with an autonomous observatory equipped with a video camera, a CTD, an oxygen probe, turbidimeters, an ADCP and a sediment trap.
3) Experimentation on the growth, recruitment and resilience of corals. Stained colonies will be redeployed each year to assess growth rates in association with the DeepSeed, a device to collect larvae and juveniles.
Cold-water corals from the Bay of Biscay © Ifremer