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Open-File Report 2014-1160


Sea-Floor Morphology and Sedimentary Environments of Western Block Island Sound, Northeast of Gardiners Island, New York


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Click on figures for larger images
Thumbnail image of figure 24 and link to larger figure. Map showing locations of bottom photographs taken in the study area.
Figure 24. Map showing locations of bottom photographs collected during cruise 2013-005-FA on the research vessel (RV) Rafael.
Thumbnail image of figure 25 and link to larger figure. Photograph of the sea floor in the study area.
Figure 25. Photograph from station 299_22 showing a sandy sea floor in the study area.
Thumbnail image of figure 26 and link to larger figure. Photograph of the sea floor in the study area.
Figure 26. Photograph from station 299_9 showing a boulder in the study area that is covered with hydrozoans, sponges and (or) tunicates, coral, and algae.

Bottom Photography

Between 2 and 8 bottom photographs and several minutes of video were taken at each station in the study area (fig. 24). The photographic data show that sandy areas of the sea floor are generally rippled, with shells commonly collecting in the ripple troughs, and that burrows, crabs, and fish are often present (fig. 25). Boulders tend to have hydrozoans and sponges and (or) tunicates attached to them, and fish are generally in the surrounding water (fig. 26).

Low-resolution images (150 x 113 pixels) of the photographs can be viewed as thumbnails in the photograph gallery below. These thumbnails are linked to medium-resolution images (600 x 450 pixels) for more detailed viewing. A compressed file with all the medium-resolution images can be accessed by clicking here. The compressed file also contains metadata about the photographs and their acquisition. Alternatively, a compressed file containing the full-resolution images (3648 x 2736 pixels) and metadata can be accessed by clicking here. The images can be identified by using the .jpg image names in the gallery below.

Photograph Gallery

Station  /  Lithologic Description

299_1 / Rippled sand with scattered shells, hydrozoans, and animal tracks.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_1a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_1b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_1c
 
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_1d
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_1e

 

 

 

299_2 / Boulders, gravel, and rippled sand with scattered shells and shell hash concentrated in ripple troughs. Boulders are covered with anemones, hydrozoans, and sponges and (or) tunicates. Burrows, worm tubes, starfish, and skate egg cases are present.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_2a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_2b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_2c
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_2d
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_2e
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_2f

 

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_2g

 

299_3 / Rippled sand with scattered shells. Fine sediments can be seen being transported by bottom currents.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_3a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_3b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_3c
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_3d

 

299_4 / Rippled sand with scattered shells, animal tracks, and burrows. Hermit crabs, oyster shells, and skate egg cases are present.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_4a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_4b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_4c

 

 

299_5 / Rippled sand with scattered shells, hermit crabs, and animal tracks.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_5a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_5b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_5c
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_5d

 

299_6 / Boulders with rippled sand and shell hash concentrated in the ripple troughs. Boulders are covered with anemones, sponges and (or) tunicates, and hydrozoans. Fin fish and skates are present.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_6a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_6b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_6c
 
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_6d
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_6e

 

 

 

299_7 / Boulders and rippled sand with scattered shells, burrows, and animal tracks. Boulders are covered with hydrozoans, hydroids, algae, and sponges and (or) tunicates. Skates and starfish are present.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_7a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_7b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_7c
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_7d
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_7e
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_7f

 

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_7g

 

299_8 / Rippled sand with scattered shells and organics concentrated in the ripple troughs.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_8a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_8b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_8c

 

299_9 / Rippled sand with boulders. Boulders are covered with sponges and (or) tunicates, hydrozoans, coral, and algae. Shells and shell hash concentrated in ripple troughs. Burrows, animal tracks, snails, and worm tubes are also present.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_9a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_9b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_9c
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_9d
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_9e
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_9f

 

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_9g
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_9h

299_10 / Boulders and rippled sand with burrows, animal tracks, scattered shells, and shell hash. Boulders are covered with sponges and (or) tunicates and hydrozoans. Sea robins, crabs, snails, dead man’s fingers, and other algae are present.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_10a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_10b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_10c
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_10d
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_10e
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_10f

 

 

 

299_11 / Rippled sand, gravel, and boulders with abundant shells (mostly mussels) and shell hash concentrated in ripple troughs. Boulders are covered with sponges and (or) tunicates, hydrozoans, hydroids, and red and green algae. Dead coral fragment present.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_11a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_11b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_11c
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_11d
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_11e
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_11f

 

 

 

299_11B / Boulders with rippled sand, and shells concentrated in ripple troughs. Boulders are covered with hydrozoans, sponges and (or) tunicates, anemones, barnacles, and algae.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_11Ba
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_11Bb
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_11Bc
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_11Bd
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_11Be
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_11Bf

 

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_11Bg
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_11Bh

299_12 / Sand and cobbles with burrows, animal tracks, hermit crabs, snails, flounder, and algae present.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_12a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_12b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_12c
 
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_12d
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_12e

 

 

 

299_13 / Rippled sand with shells and shell hash concentrated in ripple troughs. Burrows present.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_13a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_13b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_13c
 
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_13d
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_13e

 

 

 

299_14 / Rippled sand with shells and shell hash concentrated in the ripple troughs.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_14a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_14b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_14c

 

 

299_15 / Rippled sand with shells and shell hash concentrated in ripple troughs. Shelly patches, moon-snail egg cases, sea robins, and red algae are present.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_15a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_15b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_15c
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_15d
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_15e
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_15f

 

 

 

299_16 / Rippled sand with scattered shells and shell hash concentrated in ripple troughs.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_16a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_16b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_16c

 

 

299_17 / Rippled sand with scattered shells, animal tracks, crabs, and moon-snail and skate egg cases present.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_17a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_17b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_17c
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_17d

 

299_18 / Sand with animal tracks, burrows, sea robins, skates, hermit crabs, hake, and skate egg cases present.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_18a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_18b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_18c
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_18d

 

299_19 / Flat to undulating sand with scattered shells, burrows, crabs, amphipods, and worm tubes.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_19a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_19b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_19c
 
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_19d
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_19e

 

 

 

299_20 / Pebble- and pea-sized gravel, mostly encrusted with barnacles. Scattered shells, crabs, sea robins, skates, and hydrozoans are present.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_20a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_20b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_20c
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_20d
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_20e
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_20f

 

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_20g

 

299_21 / Pebble- and pea-sized gravel, mostly encrusted with barnacles. Crabs, snails, hyrdozoans, anemones, skate egg cases, and algae are present.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_21a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_21b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_21c
 
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_21d
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_21e

 

 

 

299_22 / Rippled sand with burrows, animal tracks, hermit crabs, and a sea urchin.  

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_22a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_22b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_22c
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_22d

299_23 / Boulders covered with hydrozoans and sponges and (or) tunicates at the beginning of the transect and sand with burrows at the end. Sea robins and moon-snail egg cases are present.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_23a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_23b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_23c
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_23d

 

299_24 / Rippled sand with scattered shell hash concentrated in the ripple troughs. Burrows present.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_24a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_24b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_24c

 

 

299_25 / Boulders and intervening sand with burrows. Boulders are covered with hydrozoans, hydroids, algae, and sponges and (or) tunicates, and starfish are present.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_25a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_25b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_25c
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_25d
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_25e
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_25f

 

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_25g

 

299_26 / Rippled sand with abundant shells and shell hash concentrated in ripple troughs.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_26a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_26b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_26c
 
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_26d
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_26e

 

 

 

299_27 / Rippled and megarippled sand and patchy pea gravel with abundant shells and shell hash.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_27a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_27b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_27c
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_27d
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_27e
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_27f

 

 

 

299_28 / Rippled sand with abundant shells and shell hash concentrated in ripple troughs. Burrows, animal tracks, moon-snail egg cases, algae, flounder, sea robins, and crabs are present.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_28a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_28b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_28c
 
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_28d
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_28e

 

 

299_29 / Rippled sand with scattered shell hash. Animal tracks, moon-snail egg cases, sea robins, and hermit crabs are present.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_29a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_29b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_29c
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_29d

 

299_30 / Rippled sand with shell hash concentrated in ripple troughs. Sea robins present.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_30a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_30b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_30c
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_30d

 

299_31 / Rippled sand with shell hash concentrated in ripple troughs. Sea robins and crabs are present.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_31a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_31b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_31c
 
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_31d
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_31e

 

 

 

299_32 / Rippled sand and boulders covered with hydrozoans and sponges and (or) tunicates. Skates, hake, crabs, algae, burrows, and skate egg cases are present.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_32a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_32b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_32c
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_32d

 

299_33 / Rippled sand with shells and shell hash concentrated in ripple troughs. Skate egg cases are present.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_33a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_33b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_33c
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_33d

 

299_34 / Rippled sand with scattered shells and shell hash concentrated in ripple troughs. Fish, crabs, and skate egg cases are present.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_34a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_34b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_34c
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_34d

 

299_35 / Rippled sand with burrows and crab present. Gray clasts of clay underlying a thin surface layer of sand in grab sample.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_35a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_35b
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_35c

 

 

299_36 / Rippled sand with scattered shells and shell hash.

Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_36a
Photograph showing the sea floor in the study area.
299_36b

 

   

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