Some important observations so far resulting from the cruise are: 



1. Despite a scarcity of shelter, in the area around Veatch Canyon 

 numerous lobsters, crabs, and fish were observed. The few isolated 

 boulders and objects on the bottom usually had a number of lobsters, crabs, 

 and fish associated with them . 



2. No juvenile-sized lobsters (less than 2 years old) were observed or 

 captured in the Veatch Canyon area. However, a submersible dive in Norfolk 

 Canyon area observed lobsters that were considered young of the year . 



3. Large tilefish (Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps ) estimated to weigh up 



to 100 pounds each were observed in Veatch Canyon in and around clay tunnels . 



4 . Lobsters were widely distributed over the area; many live in shallow 

 excavations in the flat bottom and some in clay burrows. 



5. Many of the communities of bottom-dwelling invertebrates seem to be 

 distributed in belts parallel to the depth contours . 



6. Several of the techniques used for censusing the larger bottom-living 

 animals seem to be feasible methods for routine sampling of large areas of 

 the sea bottom . 



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