Bonaire Deep Reef Expedition I

From 30 May – 1 June 2013 the deep reef of Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands, was explored with the aid of the “Curasub” submarine of Substation Curaçao. The shallow reefs of the Caribbean are considered a biodiversity-hotspot, an area with exceptional diversity of plants, animals and ecosystems yet surprisingly little is known about the flora and fauna of the deeper reefs. Particularly the deep reefs of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba have hardly been explored. This represents a critical knowledge gap for developing future reef policies and management practices. In order to adequately protect the ecosystem and construct sustainable management plans it is essential to document the biodiversity and to gain an understanding of what processes keep it in place