Oceanographic data collected during the Atlantic Deep-Water Canyons: Pathways to the Abyss 2011 on NOAA Ship Nancy Foster in the North Atlantic Ocean from 2011-06-04 to 2011-06-17 (NCEI Accession 0082240)

They are important conduits of anthropogenic pollutants, organic carbon, and sediments from shallow to deeper waters and support ecologically important ecosystems, such as cold seeps and hard bottom and coral habitats. The geology of these features has been well studied; however, despite their high productivity, biological data are limited (particularly deeper than 200 m).

Much of the biological data available for these canyons is represented by unpublished reports, unanalyzed data sets, and anecdotal observations. The canyons between Cape Hatteras and Cape Cod are the subject of potential oil exploration, intensive fisheries, and are possible National Marine Sanctuary candidates, and yet these are even less well known than those further north.