Dr. Schroeder is co-principal investigator in the biological component of the project.  He will be investigating distribution patterns of the sessile megafauna (e.g., Lophelia pertussa, Callogorgia sp. and antipatherians) on the various wrecks and will compared his findings to similar assemblages that occur on natural substrates at comparable depth ranges.
 

He has been involved in interdisciplinary oceanographic investigations for over 40 years and has conducted research along the coast, on the continental margins and in the deep waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico for the past 36 years. In addition, he has participated in international research endeavors in the Bahamas, Caribbean, Gulf of Papua, Azov Sea, Australia and South Africa. He has authored and coauthored over 125 scientific publications. Currently his research activities include: 1) coupled biological-geological-physical studies of deep-water corals in the Gulf of Mexico; 2) an integrated study of physical and biological processes along the west coast of Australia; 3) Late Quaternary sea level and paleoceanography investigations of hardbottom sites in the northern Gulf of Mexico; 4) validation of distributed marine-environment forecast systems; and 5) model validation of the coupled katabatic wind, coastal ocean and ice systems in Antarctica.  He received his Ph.D. degree in oceanography from Texas A&M University in 1971.