NOAA's Deep Coral & Associated Species Taxonomy & Ecology (DeepCAST) II Expedition led by Dr. Peter Etnoyer explored depths below the Meso-American Reef in Roatán, Honduras in May 2011.

The team made six submersible dives between 365 and 670 m deep, conducting photo and video transects to estimate coral and sponge diversity and abundance, characterising water chemistry, and collecting corals and molluscs to discern the relationships between corals and their epifauna. Among the highlights of the trip was the first confirmed documentation of live Lophelia pertusa along the Meso-American Reef.