Seamount Expedition – 9

Jaasaljuus Yakgujanaas

Day 11

Ahh the beloved middle child, Davidson (Pierce) Seamount, unlike SGaan Kinghlas – Bowie and Hodgekin’s seamounts. Davidson is the only seamount within SGaan Kinghlas – Bowie Seamount Marine Protected Area that has not been previously studied.  This was an unexpected dive and the right opportunity presented itself to explore and map this seamount.  Onboard we have many ID guides to assist in identifying species we encounter.  On my “I need to see this” list were spider crabs and the blob sculpin.  Today I started my watch a little later than I normally start, but someone was surely watching out for me!  Not only was there an abundance of spider crab, but we also had a blob sculpin sighting!! (Google it for a lovely surprise)

Wrapping up our time in the SGaan Kinghlas – Bowie Seamount Marine Protected Area (SK-B MPA) I have a lot of gratitude for the opportunity to be out here.  I realize that I’m only one of a handful of Haida’s in modern times to come to this area, and to participate in the science here is a humbling experience.  I have set the bar very high for myself here, I don’t think I can look at coral and sponge assemblages the same way.  I like to think that the three seamounts we explored here in the SK-B MPA have three different personalities, each providing a different habitat for a variety of fish, corals, sponges, and deep sea life.