Research scientists are watching with fascination this weekend as a search for rare undersea life is being broadcast live by two remotely operated vessels run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration off the coast of Nova Scotia.

Already, the footage has provided never before seen images of the eastern slope of the Gully, CanadaB次元官网网址檚 first marine protected area, revealing sea sponges that will require DNA testing to identify and vast fields of deepwater coral.

Ellen Kenchington, a federal marine biologist with the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, says the huge television screen at her command centre in Halifax creates a rare opportunity to observe whatB次元官网网址檚 living on the ocean bottom.

WATCH:

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 so cool,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址漃eople who study forests can walk in a forest. We donB次元官网网址檛 get to do that usually.B次元官网网址�

On Saturday, the NOAA research vessel Okeanos Explorer was filming in waters of about 350 metres, and at one point viewers were treated to spectacular and frightening tight shots of a huge lobster devouring a squid one tentacle at a time.

On Thursday, the cameras revealed the existence of large fields of bamboo coral at depths of over a kilometre B次元官网网址� a sight that Kenchington said demonstrates there are still many things scientists donB次元官网网址檛 know about the life in the Gully, about 200 kilometres off Nova ScotiaB次元官网网址檚 east coast.

The steep sides of the underwater preserve plunge down more than 2.5 kilometres, creating habitat for a vast range of life B次元官网网址� including the endangered bottlenose whales that hunt for squid more than a kilometre beneath the surface.

Previous research has been on the western wall and the seafloor of the Gully, but the eastern area hasnB次元官网网址檛 received the same attention.

That was the focus of the visit of the visit by the NOAA vessel, which is operating as part of an international agreement between Canada, the United States and and the European Union to increase knowledge of the North Atlantic Ocean.

The researchers say theyB次元官网网址檙e trying to understand the GullyB次元官网网址檚 deep canyons in part to find ways to ensure the recovery of the endangered bottlenose whales.

Kenchington said itB次元官网网址檚 believed that the whales rely on a species of squid for food, but itB次元官网网址檚 less clear where the squid are located and what their abundance is.

B次元官网网址淓verything we learn builds on our previous knowledge and eventually weB次元官网网址檒l understand just what those whales are feeding on,B次元官网网址� she said.

The Gully area B次元官网网址� about 2,360 square kilometres B次元官网网址� was also originally protected in 2004 because of the diversity of deepwater coral.

So far, 34 species of cold-water coral have been identified, but all were on the western wall of the Gully.

B次元官网网址淚n our dives on the eastern wall we saw some interesting coral we hadnB次元官网网址檛 seen before with our cameras. WeB次元官网网址檙e not yet sure if theyB次元官网网址檙e new species or different shapes of species weB次元官网网址檝e seen elsewhere,B次元官网网址� said Kenchington.

B次元官网网址淲e should hear back in a few months of just what was collected.B次元官网网址�

The researchers say gaining a better picture of the status of the seafloor communities is important because it will allow them to monitor changes caused by temperature changes in the ocean related to climate change B次元官网网址� such as potential shifts in the Gulf Stream current.

B次元官网网址淚f there are major changes in the currents that feed the Gully we might then find some of the species decline while others increase in abundance,B次元官网网址� said Kenchington.

The sponge species being spotted may also have potential to provide information on potential medicines, the scientist said.

B次元官网网址淟earning more about them may be good for all humankind,B次元官网网址� she said.

The survey continues on Sunday in an area known as the Fundian Channel-Brown Bank, south of Yarmouth, at depths of over 1,600 metres.

The expeditionB次元官网网址檚 data will be reviewed to update the location of the coral and sponges that were spotted during the survey during the trip along the coast.

This will be combined with the data from the previous surveys of the other wall of the Gully.

B次元官网网址淲e can update our atlas of the coral species for the Maritimes species for all of the region, which hasnB次元官网网址檛 been done for over a decade B次元官网网址� so people can get an overview of whatB次元官网网址檚 living in our waters,B次元官网网址� said Kenchington.

Michael Tutton, The Canadian Press

Like us on and follow us on .