092ad0f6-e844-4d36-a5a8-614c5825adba urn:uuid eng UTF-8 nonGeographicDataset nonGeographicDataset 2025-06-23T12:28:15 creation ISO 19115 2016 Serpent Project Mutineer 1 - Subsea Field Development 092ad0f6-e844-4d36-a5a8-614c5825adba SERPENT - Scientific and Environmental remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Partnership using Existing iNdustrial Technology. A highly successful mission resulted after 8 days of ROV operations. Four 40 m video transects were completed, for megafaunal abundance, diversity and distribution in the area. Transects were conducted at 210°, 180°, 160° and 140° from the blow-out converter (BOP). Videos will be analysed for megafaunal diversity and habitat mapping. This is a soft bottom environment in 150m water depth. On this mission large aggregations of sea urchins were discovered, along with anemones and encrusting sponges on the existing sub-sea structures, consistent with soft bottom communities. Nutrient selection behaviour of the sea urchin Diadema sp. was monitored, and urchins showed a clear preference for high-protein food blocks (squid-based). In caged experiments, a shift in preference from protein to kelp and seagrass was apparent. This suggests that Diadema sp. were protein deprived and were seeking to redress a nutrient imbalance by increasing their intake of protein. Having redressed this nutrient imbalance they returned to a high-carbohydrate, algae and plant-based diet. Analysis of video footage of urchin interaction indicates one urchin feeding will prevent others from mounting the feeding plates within reach of other urchins' spines. Feeding marks on the agar blocks once brought to the surface indicated which arrays were being eaten. Sea urchins were also evident adjacent to the BOP. They were obviously not deterred by drill spoil. We hope to return to Mutineer-Exeter in 2007 for repeated sampling. {"type": "Point", "coordinates": [116.5615, -19.31]} 116.5615 116.5615 -19.31 -19.31 Biosphere | Zoology | Anemones Biosphere | Zoology | Sponges Oceans | Marine Biology | Marine Habitat Oceans | Marine Sediments | Sediment Characteristics Urchins This URL Links to the SERPENT project web site documentDigital HTML Unnamed resource documentDigital HTML Unnamed resource documentDigital License Graphic PNG Unnamed resource documentDigital HTML