USGS OFR 2013-1003: Sea-Floor Geology in Northeastern Block Island Sound, Rhode Island, Bottom Photography

U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2013–1003

Bottom Photography

Click on figures for larger images

Thumbnail image of figure 21 and link to larger figure. Map showing locations of bottom photographs taken in the study area.

Figure 21. Map showing the locations of photographs of the sea floor taken during U.S. Geological Survey cruise 2012-002-FA on the research vessel Rafael.

Thumbnail image of figure 22 and link to larger figure. Photograph of the sea floor in the study area.

Figure 22. Photograph of gravel and boulders on the sea floor at U.S. Geological Survey sampling station NBIS14.

Thumbnail image of figure 23 and link to larger figure. Photograph of the sea floor in the study area.

Figure 23. Photograph of rippled sand on the sea floor at U.S. Geological Survey sampling station NBIS9. Shells and coarser sediment can be seen collecting in the ripple troughs.

Several photographs and a few minutes of video were obtained at the sea-floor sampling stations (fig. 21). Photographs show that boulders are often covered with red algae and other seaweed, and anemones, hydrozoans, or kelp are often present (fig. 22). Areas of sandy sea floor are often rippled, with coarser sediment and shell hash concentrated in the troughs and finer sediment on the crests, and animal tracks and amphipod tubes may be present (fig. 23). Station NBIS5 crosses the boundary from a scour depression to the surrounding sea floor. The first four photographs in the transect are from the scour depression and show a rippled, gravelly sea floor (see Photograph Gallery below). The last two pictures are of a much finer grained, sandy sea floor. Photographs from other stations in scour depressions show that the depressions tend to have rippled sea floors with coarse sand and gravel collecting in the ripple troughs.

Low-resolution images (150 x 113 pixels) of the photographs may be viewed by browsing the thumbnails in the Photograph Gallery below. These thumbnails are linked to medium-resolution images (600 x 450 pixels) for more detailed viewing. A .zip file with all the medium-resolution images may be accessed by clicking here. The .zip file contains metadata about the photographs and their acquisition. Alternatively, the directory containing the full-resolution images (3648 x 2736 pixels) may be accessed by clicking here. The images can be identified by using the .jpg image names in the galleries below. Individuals interested in obtaining video photography collected in this area may do so at the Data Library of the USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole, Mass.

Photograph Gallery

Station / Lithologic Description

NBIS-1 / Overgrown boulders along with cobbles and gravel. Red algae, tunicates, seaweed, and kelp are present.
NBIS1a	NBIS1b	NBIS1c
NBIS1d	NBIS1e
NBIS-2 / Sand with patches of gravel changing to a gravel pavement. Shell hash, crabs, snails, anemones, kelp, and seaweed are present.
NBIS2a	NBIS2b	NBIS2c	NBIS2d
NBIS-3 / Overgrown boulders along with cobbles, gravel, and sand. Boulders and cobbles are covered with red algae, seaweed, hydrozoans, and tunicates. Snails are present.
NBIS3a	NBIS3b	NBIS3c	NBIS3d
NBIS3e	NBIS3f
NBIS-4 / Sandy sea floor changing to gravel. Sandy areas are hummocky with scattered fine shell hash and organic debris concentrated in depressions. Gravel contains scattered shell hash. Animal tracks can be seen. Ctenophores are present in the water column.
NBIS4a	NBIS4b	NBIS4c
NBIS4d	NBIS4e
NBIS-5 / Rippled, gravelly sea floor changing to hummocky sand. Pea gravel and coarser sand concentrate in ripple troughs and finer sand is on the crests with scattered shell hash throughout. Hummocky sand has organic debris in depressions, animal tracks, and scattered shell hash.
NBIS5a	NBIS5b	NBIS5c	NBIS5d
NBIS5e	NBIS5f
NBIS-6 / Rippled sand with pea gravel and shell debris in troughs and scattered organic debris concentrated in depressions.
NBIS6a	NBIS6b	NBIS6c
NBIS6d	NBIS6e
NBIS-7 / Hummocky to faintly rippled sand with scattered shell debris.
NBIS7a	NBIS7b	NBIS7c	NBIS7d
NBIS-8 / Rippled sand with shell hash in troughs to hummocky sand with amphipod tubes and snails.
NBIS8a	NBIS8b	NBIS8c
NBIS-9 / Rippled sand with pea gravel and shell hash in troughs. Ctenophores are present in the water column.
NBIS9a	NBIS9b	NBIS9c	NBIS9d
NBIS-10 / Rippled sand with pea gravel and shell hash in troughs. Ctenophores are present in the water column.
NBIS10a	NBIS10b	NBIS10c	NBIS10d
NBIS-11 / Hummocky sand with amphipod tubes and animal tracks.
NBIS11a	NBIS11b	NBIS11c	NBIS11d
NBIS-12 / Sand with amphipod tubes and small burrows and animal tracks.
NBIS12a	NBIS12b	NBIS12c
NBIS-13 / Rippled sand with pea gravel and shell hash concentrated in troughs. Crabs are present.
NBIS13a	NBIS13b	NBIS13c	NBIS13d
NBIS-14 / Boulders, cobbles, gravel, and small patches of sand. Boulders overgrown with red algae. Kelp and shell hash are present.
NBIS14a	NBIS14b	NBIS14c
NBIS14d	NBIS14e
NBIS-15 / Boulders, cobbles, gravel, and small patches of sand. Boulders overgrown with red seaweed. Fin fish and kelp are present.
NBIS15a	NBIS15b	NBIS15c	NBIS15d
NBIS15e	NBIS15f
NBIS-16 / Boulders, cobbles, gravel, and small patches of sand. Boulders overgrown with red seaweed. Mussel beds, anemones, kelp, seaweed, and snails are present.
NBIS16a	NBIS16b	NBIS16c	NBIS16d
NBIS16e	NBIS16f
NBIS-17 / Overgrown boulders along with cobbles and gravel. Red algae and seaweed are present.
NBIS17a	NBIS17b	NBIS17c	NBIS17d
NBIS17e	NBIS17f	NBIS17g
NBIS-18 / Boulders, cobbles, and gravel. Boulders overgrown with red algae and seaweed. Kelp is present.
NBIS18a	NBIS18b	NBIS18c	NBIS18d
NBIS18e	NBIS18f	NBIS18g	NBIS18h
NBIS-19 / Rippled fine sand with little scattered shell hash.
NBIS19a	NBIS19b	NBIS19c	NBIS19d
NBIS-20 / Rippled sand with pea gravel and shell hash in the troughs.
NBIS20a	NBIS20b	NBIS20c
NBIS20d	NBIS20e
NBIS-21 / Rippled sand and gravel with gravel and shells in the troughs.
NBIS21a	NBIS21b	NBIS21c	NBIS21d
NBIS-22 / Boulders, cobbles, and gravel. Boulders overgrown with red seaweed. Scattered shell hash is present.
NBIS22a	NBIS22b	NBIS22c
NBIS-23 / Overgrown boulders along with cobbles, gravel, and sand. Red seaweed, kelp, and algae are present.
NBIS23a	NBIS23b	NBIS23c	NBIS23d
NBIS23e	NBIS23f
NBIS-24 / Rippled sand and gravel with encrusted boulders. Sand on ripple crests. Boulders overgrown with red algae and seaweed.
NBIS24a	NBIS24b	NBIS24c	NBIS24d
NBIS24e	NBIS24f
NBIS-66 / Overgrown boulders along with cobbles, gravel, and sand. Red seaweed, kelp, and algae are present.
NBIS66a	NBIS66b	NBIS66c	NBIS66d
NBIS66e	NBIS66f	NBIS66g
NBIS-70 / Sand with mats of red and green seaweed. Snails and shell hash are present.
NBIS70a	NBIS70b	NBIS70c
NBIS70d	NBIS70e

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