Note: Intro -- Preface -- Prologue -- Contents -- Chapter 1: The Deep-Water Crustacean and Pycnogonid Fauna of the Americas in a Global Context -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.1.1 Our Watery World and the Beginnings of Life -- 1.2 The Deep Sea -- 1.2.1 How Little Do We Know of Earth's Deep Ocean? -- 1.2.2 The Deep-Sea Environment -- 1.2.3 The Deep Sea of the Americas -- 1.2.3.1 The Ecological Context -- 1.2.3.2 The Oxygen Minimum Zone -- 1.2.3.3 Political Boundaries and Deep Territorial Seas -- 1.2.4 Marine Arthropoda -- 1.3 Conclusions -- References -- Chapter 2: Deep-Sea Pycnogonids from Uruguay: Every Deep Cruise Adds Valuable Information -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Materials and Methods -- 2.3 Results -- 2.3.1 Colossendeis angusta Sars, 1877 Fig. 2.2a -- 2.3.2 Ammothea spinosa (Hodgson, 1907) Fig. 2.2b -- 2.3.3 Bathypallenopsis calcanea (Stephensen, 1933) Fig. 2.2c -- 2.4 Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 3: The Deep-Water Colossendeis tenera Hilton, 1943 (Pycnogonida, Pantopoda, Colossendeidae) off Western Mexico -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Material and Methods -- 3.3 Results -- 3.4 Discussion -- References -- Chapter 4: The Deep-Water Benthic Harpacticoida (Copepoda) of the Americas -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 Material and Methods -- 4.3 Results and Discussion -- 4.3.1 Diversity and Distribution -- 4.3.1.1 Eastern United States (Fig. 4.5) -- 4.3.1.2 Southern South America (Fig. 4.6) -- 4.3.1.3 The Gulf of Mexico (Fig. 4.7) -- 4.3.1.4 Southeast Pacific (Fig. 4.8) -- 4.3.1.5 Eastern Central Pacific (Fig. 4.9) -- 4.3.1.6 Gulf of California (Fig. 4.10) -- 4.3.1.7 Northeastern Pacific (Fig. 4.11) -- 4.3.1.8 Campos Basin and Continental Slope off Sergipe, Brazil (Fig. 4.12) -- 4.3.1.9 Beaufort Sea (Fig. 4.13) -- 4.3.2 Ecology -- 4.3.2.1 Associations with other Metazoan Species -- 4.3.2.2 Regional/Long-Range Dispersal and Colonization of the Deep Sea. , The EiE Hypothesis -- The Meiofaunal Paradox -- Dispersal and Distribution of Deep-Sea Harpacticoids -- References -- Chapter 5: Updated Checklist of Deep-Sea Amphipods (Amphilochidea and Senticaudata) from Western Mexico, NE Pacific Ocean -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 Material and Methods -- 5.3 Results -- 5.4 Discussion -- References -- Chapter 6: Isopoda Epicaridea from Deep Water Around North and Central America -- 6.1 Introduction -- 6.2 Material and Methods -- 6.3 Results -- 6.3.1 Systematic Section -- 6.4 Conclusions -- References -- Chapter 7: Biodiversity of the Deep-Sea Isopods, Cumaceans, and Amphipods (Crustacea: Peracarida) Recorded off the Argentine Coast -- 7.1 Introduction -- 7.2 Material and Methods -- 7.3 Results -- 7.3.1 General Comments -- 7.3.2 Isopoda -- 7.3.3 Cumacea -- 7.3.4 Amphipoda -- 7.4 Discussion -- References -- Chapter 8: Benthic Invertebrate Communities in the Continental Margin Sediments of the Monterey Bay Area -- 8.1 Introduction -- 8.2 Methods -- 8.3 Results and Discussion -- 8.3.1 Sediments -- 8.3.2 Benthic Communities -- 8.3.3 Diversity and Abundance -- 8.3.4 Major Taxonomic Groups -- 8.3.5 Depth Patterns -- 8.3.5.1 Inner Shelf (10-30 m) -- 8.3.5.2 Mid-shelf and Mud Zone (50-90 m) -- 8.3.5.3 Shelf-Slope Break (109-150 m) -- 8.3.5.4 Upper Slope (325-450 m) -- 8.3.5.5 Oxygen Minimum Zone (700 m) -- 8.3.5.6 Deeper Slope (1000-2000 m) -- 8.4 Conclusions -- Appendices -- Appendix 8.5.1: Station locations and the number (N) of replicate grab samples (0.1 m2) taken and processed at each station for community analyses along the four depth transects in the Monterey Bay area -- Appendix 8.5.2: Images of the seafloor and seafloor elements in Monterey Bay -- Appendix 8.5.2.1: Glauconite from a sediment sample from 877 m depth off Monterey, California. © Linda Kuhnz, 2006. Scale bar = 0.25 mm. , Appendix 8.5.2.2: Sand ripple bottom at 45 m. ABA © 1999 (ROV Phantom/Remora) -- Appendix 8.5.2.3: Mud bottom at 90 m. ABA © 1999 (ROV Phantom/Remora) -- Appendix 8.5.2.4: Large group of sea urchins, Strongylocentrotus fragilis, at 91 m. ABA © 1999 (ROV Phantom/Remora) -- Appendix 8.5.2.5 Live and dead brachiopods, Laqueus californianus, at 150 m. ABA © 1999 (ROV Phantom/Remora) -- Appendix 8.5.2.6: High density of brachiopods, Laqueus californianus, at 112 m. ABA © 1999 (ROV Phantom/Remora) -- Appendix 8.5.2.7: Mud bottom at 112 m. ABA © 1999 (ROV Phantom/Remora) -- Appendix 8.5.2.8 Mixed bottom at 122 m. ABA © 1999 (ROV Phantom/Remora) -- Appendix 8.5.2.9: Ophiuroids and a sea star, Rathbunaster californicus, at 191 m. ABA © 1999 (ROV Phantom/Remora) -- Appendix 8.5.2.10: Ophiuroids at 193 m. ABA © 1999 (ROV Phantom/Remora) -- Appendix 8.5.2.11: Mixed bottom at 324 m. ABA © 1999 (ROV Phantom/Remora) -- Appendix 8.5.2.12: Mixed bottom at 434 m. ABA © 1999 (ROV Phantom/Remora) -- Appendix 8.5.2.13: Ampeliscid tube mat found at 700 m. ABA © 1999 (ROV Phantom/Remora) -- Appendix 8.5.2.14: Mud bottom at 1000 m. ABA © 1999 (ROV Phantom/Remora) -- Appendix 8.5.2.15: Mud bottom at 1200 m. ABA © 1999 (ROV Phantom/Remora) -- 8.4.1 Appendix 8.5.3: Dendrogram displaying the results of a cluster analysis on samples from all four transects combined. Clusters of water depths connected by dashed orange lines are not significantly different from each other, but are signifi -- Appendix 8.5.4: Top ten species at each depth and transect (means and standard deviations for N grab samples shown in Tables 4-5 and Appendix 8.5.1). Blank sections have no data to report for that depth and transect combination -- References -- Chapter 9: Deep-Water Penaeoid Shrimp of the Southern Gulf of Mexico Upper Slope: Distribution, Abundance, and Fishery Potential -- 9.1 Introduction. , 9.2 Material and Methods -- 9.2.1 Sampling Procedure -- 9.2.2 Sampling Locations -- 9.3 Results -- 9.3.1 Penaeoid Species Composition -- 9.3.2 Biomass and Catch per Unit Effort (CPUE) -- 9.4 Discussion -- 9.4.1 Distribution and Depth Range -- 9.4.2 Potential Fishery Resource -- 9.5 Conclusions -- References -- Chapter 10: Sex Distribution and Reproductive Trends in the Deep-Water Species of Nematocarcinus (Crustacea: Decapoda: Nematocarcinidae) from Western Mexico -- 10.1 Introduction -- 10.2 Material and Methods -- 10.3 Results -- 10.4 Discussion -- References -- Chapter 11: Influence of Environmental Variables on the Abundance and Distribution of the Deep-Water Shrimps Nematocarcinus faxoni Burukovsky, 2001 and N. agassizii Faxon, 1893 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Nematocarcinidae) off Western Mexico -- 11.1 Introduction -- 11.2 Material and Methods -- 11.2.1 Biological Sampling -- 11.2.2 Environmental Data -- 11.2.3 Data Analysis -- 11.3 Results -- 11.3.1 Population Structure -- 11.3.2 Relationship Between Density and Environmental Variables -- 11.4 Discussion -- 11.4.1 Geographic and Bathymetric Distributions -- 11.4.2 Size and Sexual Maturity -- 11.4.3 Environmental Drivers -- References -- Chapter 12: Pelagic Shrimps (Crustacea, Decapoda, Dendrobranchiata, and Caridea) in the Southeast Pacific -- 12.1 Introduction -- 12.2 Materials and Methods -- 12.3 Results -- 12.4 Discussion -- References -- Chapter 13: Deep-Sea Lobsters (Polychelidae and Nephropidae) from the Continental Slope of the Southern Gulf of Mexico: Distribution and Morphometric Relationships -- 13.1 Introduction -- 13.2 Materials and Methods -- 13.2.1 Study Area -- 13.2.2 Lobster Collection -- 13.2.3 Statistical Analyses -- 13.2.3.1 Horizontal and Bathymetric Distribution -- 13.2.3.2 Morphometric Relationships and Allometry -- 13.2.3.3 Relationships Between Lobster Size and Depth. , 13.3 Results -- 13.3.1 Horizontal and Bathymetric Distribution -- 13.3.2 Size Distribution and Morphometric Relationships -- 13.3.3 Tests of Allometry -- 13.3.4 Relationships Between Lobster Size and Depth -- 13.4 Discussion -- 13.4.1 Polychelid Lobsters -- 13.4.2 Nephropid Lobsters -- 13.4.3 Should Deep-Sea Lobsters Be Fished? -- References -- Chapter 14: New Molecular Data on Squat Lobster from the Coast of São Paulo State (Brazil) (Anomura: Munida and Agononida) and Insights on the Systematics of the Family Munididae -- 14.1 Introduction -- 14.2 Material and Methods -- 14.2.1 Sampling and Identification of Specimens -- 14.2.2 Molecular Protocols -- 14.2.3 Data Analysis -- 14.3 Results -- 14.4 Discussion -- References -- Chapter 15: Biology and Distribution of Agononida longipes (Crustacea, Decapoda, Munididae) in the Colombian Caribbean Sea -- 15.1 Introduction -- 15.2 Methods -- 15.3 Results -- 15.3.1 Abundance -- 15.3.2 Carapace Length -- 15.3.3 Sex Ratio -- 15.3.4 Fecundity -- 15.3.5 Parasite Infestation -- 15.4 Discussion -- 15.4.1 Abundance -- 15.4.2 Carapace Length -- 15.4.3 Sex Ratio -- 15.4.4 Fecundity -- 15.4.5 Parasite Infestation -- References -- Chapter 16: King Crabs of Peruvian Waters During 2003-2004: New Insights -- 16.1 Introduction -- 16.2 Materials and Methods -- 16.2.1 Area and Period of Exploratory Fishing -- 16.2.2 Biological and Fisheries Data on Board -- 16.2.3 Sample and Laboratory -- 16.2.4 Statistical Analysis -- 16.3 Results -- 16.3.1 Distribution and Relative Abundance -- 16.3.2 Landing and Catch -- 16.3.3 Size Structure -- 16.3.4 Size-Wet Mass Relationship -- 16.3.5 Female Maturity Size -- 16.3.6 Parasites -- 16.4 Discussion -- References -- Chapter 17: Lower Slope and Abyssal Benthic Decapods of the Eastern Pacific -- 17.1 Introduction -- 17.2 Methods -- 17.3 Results -- 17.3.1 Species in the Eastern Pacific. , 17.3.2 Taxonomy.