Mona Canyon

The Mona submarine canyon geomorphology is highly complex yet unexplored. The complex seafloor is the result of oceanographic and tectonic forces that are actively forming and reshaping the landscape of the region. The canyon is located in an intricate and irregular tectonic region at the boundary between the Caribbean and North American plates, where the east–west transversing subduction Septentrional Fault ends in an approximately hole west of the landform. and other famous canyons == Geology ==

The Mona Canyon geology has been explored through a series of ocean dives completed during Expedition EX1811. Notably, dives 12 and 19 from Expedition EX1811 in November 2018 describe the geology of the East Wall of the Mona Canyon and the Mona Seamount respectfully. In dive 12, observations included soft sediment that gradually transitioned to more jagged rocky outcrops. Rocks were observed encrusted with FeMn as well. In dive 19, the site featured soft sediment with some cobble, boulders, and rocky outcrops displaying linear features similar to limestone formations. The rocky outcrops were typically composed of cracked angular rock with relatively fresh surfaces and white-tan coloration contrasting the dark rock encrusted with FeMn. == Biology ==

Dives 12 and 19 from the Expedition EX1811 conducted by the NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer both had a common goal to characterize the deep-sea fauna found during the exploration. The fauna at the dive 12 site included sparse fish species, with cusk eels (Barathrodenus manatinus) being the most common, and low sponge diversity, primarily dominated by glass sponges. Echinoderms, including sea cucumbers, brittle stars, and sea stars, were the most abundant organisms, with deep-sea corals and some carnivorous sponges also present. The fauna at the dive 19 site included two coral species, Umbellula sp. and Abyssopathes cf. lyra, along with diverse invertebrates such as Cladorhizid sponges, Munnopsid isopods (cf. Storthyngula sp.), squat lobsters, and tube-dwelling anemones. Other notable organisms included brittle stars, Rhodaliid siphonophores, and various deep-sea worms, highlighting a rich invertebrate diversity. == See also ==