In the fall of 2001 I participated in a leg of the NOAA Deep East Expedition to explore Huson Canyon off the coast of New Jersey/New york.  The primary intent of the cruise was to use the research submersible Alvin to survey the areas at the base of the canyon.  However, due to an increase in naval activity in the area in response to the attacks on September 11th, we were unable to complete our survey.  We had already bought time with the ship and the sub, so it was decided to carry out a series of dives at the head of the canyon, in waters about 230 meters deep.  Alvin rarely makes dives this shallow (our pilot never had), but the waters at the edge of the continental shelf are deep enough that they still contain substantial mystery, so we were all pretty excited.

The highlight of these dives was certainly the squid. I was amazed by the way they moved and hunted. Most pleasing were their beautiful colors, and their ability to instantly change pattern and intensity. The videos posted here hint at the opalescent quality of the squids' skin, but do not come close to reality. These animals are truly dynamic gems. I was also struck by the consistency and variety of behaviors displayed by the squid, and thought the video might be a good source for a study on squid predatory behavior -- particularly as direct observations of squid in these habitats is hard to come by. Most of the literature on squid behavior tends to focus on mating, likely because of ease (mating occurs in relatively shallow water with high squid densities, allowing researchers to gather lots of good data on scuba). I am currently corresponding with Roger Hanlon of MBL to create a behavioral study protocol for the video from the cruise.

As data become available, I will post them here. In the meantime, you might enjoy viewing a few clips from the footage . . .

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