1996 Funded Projects

In 1996 there were nine full projects and ten developmental projects that were funded by the West Coast NURC.

The nine projects and the Principal Investigators were:

• Southern California white abalone stock assessment survey- Randall Davis
  

• Elevated invertebrate and fish production in submarine canyons: Effects of macrophyte detritus- Dayton and Vetter (UCSD, Scripps Institution of Oceanography)
  

• New lessons on the relationship between magmatic processes, the subsurface biosphere and the ocean at an intra-transform extensional basin: Blanco Fracture Zone, Northeast Pacific- Embley (NOAA/PMEL)
  

• Growth and productivity of Ridgeia piscesae and trophic interactions within vestimentiferan communities in different vent environments- Fisher (Pennsylvania State University)
  

• Origin and emergence of Mendocino Ridge- Fish (OSU, College of Oceanography)
  

• Submersible and remote vehicle investigations of Cascadia Forearc processes: Forearc deformation, slope failure, and earthquake potential- Goldfinger (Oregon State University)
  

• Ecology and physiology of Beggiatoa sp. at Monterey Canyon seeps: A model of novel, sulfide-driven, bacterial denitrification- Nelson (UC Davis)
  

• Hydrothermal plume and diffuse flow imaging sonar system: Test and application- Rona (Rutgers University)
  

• Structure, succession and phylogenetic affinities of deep-sea whale-fall communities on the northeast Pacific slope- Smith (University of Hawaii, School of Oceanography)
  

The ten developmental projects and Principal Investigators were:

• Data communications upgrades for ZAPS-- Towed Fiberoptic Fluorometer Sled - Collier (OSU, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Science)
  

• Objectives and Rationale Behind U.S. Involvement in the 1996 Star Habitat Working Group and SOPAC meetings - Greene/Cailliet (Moss Landing Marine Lab)
  

• To conduct a manned submersible reconnaissance of the torpedoed oil tanker SS MONTEBELLO for the purpose of collecting information on the potential threat posed by this 75 year old oil tanker now 54 years submerged within Monterey National Marine Sanctuary- Hunter (Calif. Dept. of Transportation)
  

• Ringed Seal diving behavior and prey distribution - Kelly (UAF, School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences)
  

• Utility of ROV's for the identification and assessment of marine anthropogenic debris at McMurdo Station, Antarctica- Kvitek (Moss Landing Marine Lab)
  

• Growth and productivity of Ridgia piscesae and trophic interactions within vestimentiferan communities in different vent environments- MacDonald (Texas A&M)
  

• ROV mapping of benthic habitats and communities at McMurdo Station, Antarctica- Oliver (Moss Landing Marine Lab)
  

• Remote investigations and sampling of epibenthic particle accumulation in the Columbia River Estuary turbidity maximum- Simenstad (UW, School of Fisheries)
  

• Submersible survey of benthos at the proposed A-J mine submarine tailing disposal site- Stekoll, Kline & Shirley (UAF, Juneau Center)
  

• Mobile predators at Northeast Pacific vents - Voight (Field Museum of Natural History)