Hotspot Ecosystem Research and Man's Impact On European Seas

Last updated
HERMIONE project logo Hotspot Ecosystem Research and Man's Impact on European Seas.jpg
HERMIONE project logo

Hotspot Ecosystem Research and Man's Impact On European Seas (HERMIONE) is an international multidisciplinary project, started in April 2009, that studies deep-sea ecosystems. [1] [2] HERMIONE scientists study the distribution of hotspot ecosystems, how they function and how they interconnect, partially in the context of how these ecosystems are being affected by climate change [3] and impacted by humans through overfishing, resource extraction, seabed installations (oil platforms, etc.) and pollution. Major aims of the project are to understand how humans are affecting the deep-sea environment and to provide policy makers with accurate scientific information, enabling effective management strategies to protect deep sea ecosystems. The HERMIONE project is funded by the European Commission's Seventh Framework Programme, and is the successor to the HERMES project, which concluded in March 2009. [4]

Contents

Introduction

Europe's deep-ocean margin, from the Arctic to the Iberian Margin, and across the Mediterranean to the Black Sea, spans a distance of over 15,000 km and hosts a number of diverse habitats and ecosystems. Deep water coral reefs, undersea mountains populated by a multitude of organisms, vast submarine canyon systems, and hydrothermal vents are some of the features contained therein. [5] The traditional view of the deep-sea realm as a hostile and barren place was discredited long ago, and scientists now know that much of Europe's deep sea is rich and diverse. [6]

However, the deep sea is increasingly threatened by humans: most of this deep-ocean frontier lies within Europe's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and has significant potential for the exploitation of biological, energy, and mineral resources. Research and exploration over the last two decades has shown clear signs of direct and indirect anthropogenic impacts in the deep sea, resulting from such activities as overfishing, [7] littering and pollution. This raises concerns because deep-sea processes and ecosystems are not only important for the marine web of life, but also fundamentally contribute to the global biogeochemical cycle.[ citation needed ]

Continuing with the knowledge obtained by the HERMES project (EC FP6), which contributed significantly to our understanding of deep-sea ecosystems, [8] the HERMIONE project investigates ecosystems at critical sites on Europe's deep-ocean margin, aiming to make major advances in knowledge of their distribution and functioning, and their contribution to ecosystem goods and services.[ clarification needed ] HERMIONE places special emphasis on human impact on the deep sea and on the translation of scientific information into science policy for the sustainable use of marine resources. To design and implement effective governance strategies and management plans to protect our deep seas for the future, understanding the extent, natural dynamics and interconnection of ocean ecosystems, and integrating socio-economic research with natural science, are important. To achieve this, HERMIONE uses a highly interdisciplinary and integrated approach, engaging experts in biology, ecology, biodiversity, oceanography, geology, sedimentology, geophysics and biogeochemistry, who will work alongside socio-economists and policy-makers.

Hotspot research

The HERMIONE project focuses on deep-sea "hotspot" ecosystems including submarine canyons, open slopes and deep basins, chemosynthetic environments, deep water coral reefs, and seamounts. Hotspot ecosystems support high species diversity, numbers of individuals, or both, and are therefore important in maintaining margin-wide biodiversity and abundance. [9] HERMIONE research ranges from investigation of the ecosystems' dimensions, distribution, interconnection and functioning, to understanding the potential impacts of climate change and anthropogenic disturbance. The ultimate objective is to provide stakeholders and policymakers with the scientific knowledge necessary to support deep-sea governance, sustainable management and conservation of these ecosystems.

To obtain the data needed, HERMIONE scientists are spending over 1000 days at sea, using more than 50 research vessels across Europe. Sharing vessels and equipment between partners will bring benefits through shared knowledge, expertise and data, and will also maximise the research effort, increasing efficiency and productivity. State-of-the-art technology will be used, with Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) one of the critical pieces of equipment being used for a wide range of delicate manoeuvres and high-resolution surveys, from precision sampling of methane gas at cold seeps to microbathymetry mapping to examine the structure of the seabed. Large arrays of instrumented moorings, shared by different partner institutions, will be deployed in common experimental areas, allowing HERMIONE to develop experimental strategies beyond any national capacity.

Study areas

Map of HERMIONE areas of scientific research Map of research areas.jpg
Map of HERMIONE areas of scientific research

The HERMIONE study sites were selected on the following basis:

The HMMV, PAP, MAR and central Mediterranean sites link to the ESONET long-term monitoring sites and will provide valuable background information.

Hotspot ecosystems

Cold-water coral reefs

Deep water coral reefs are found along the northeast Atlantic and central Mediterranean margins, and are important biodiversity hotspots. [10] [11] The recent HERMES project lists more than 2000 species associated with cold-water coral reefs worldwide. [12] As well as flourishing live coral, the dead coral frameworks and rubble that are frequently found close by attract a myriad of fauna from the microscopic to the mega, [13] and may be fundamental in coral ecosystem replenishment. Coral reefs provide a habitat for fish, [14] a refuge from predators, a rich food source, a nursery for young fish, and are also potential sources of a wide range of medicines to treat ailments from cancer to cardiovascular disease.

There are several known coral hotspot areas on Europe's deep-ocean margin, including the Scandinavian, Rockall-Porcupine and central Mediterranean margins, and there remain many questions about them, such as how each of the sites are connected to one another, [15] how they arose, what drives the distribution of the reefs, [16] [17] how the larvae disperse and settle, how the corals and associated species reproduce, finding their physiological thresholds, how they will fare with increased ocean warming, [18] [19] and whether ocean warming induces a spread of coral reefs further north into the Arctic Ocean. New research will also build on previous work to define the physical environment around cold-water coral reefs such as hydrodynamic and sedimentary regimes, which will help to understand biological responses. [20] [21]

HERMIONE scientists use cutting-edge technology to try to answer these questions. [2] High-resolution mapping of the seafloor will be carried out to determine the location and distribution of cold-water corals, and photographic observations will be made to assess changes in the status of known reefs over time, such as their response to climatic variation or their recovery from destruction by fishing trawlers. To assess biodiversity and its relationship with environmental factors such as climate change, DNA barcoding and other molecular techniques will be used.

Submarine canyons

Submarine canyons are deep, steep-sided valleys that form on continental margins. Stretching from the shelf to the deep sea, they dissect much of the European margin. They are one of the most complex seascapes known to humans; their rugged topography and challenging environmental conditions mean that they are also one of the least explored. Advances in technology over the last two decades have allowed scientists to uncover some of the mysteries of canyons, the size of which often rival the Grand Canyon, [22] USA.

One of the most important discoveries is that canyons are major sources and sinks for sediment and organic matter on continental margins. [23] [24] They act as fast-track pathways for sediment and organic matter from the shelf to the deep sea, [25] and can act as temporary depots for sediment and carbon storage. Particle flux through canyons has been found to be between two and four times greater than on the open slope, [25] though the transfer of particles through canyons is thought to be largely "event-driven", [26] [27] [28] which introduces a highly variable aspect to canyon conditions. Determining what drives sediment transport and deposition within canyons is one of the major challenges for HERMIONE.

The capacity of canyons to focus and concentrate organic matter can promote high abundances and diversity of fauna. However, variability in environmental conditions and topography is very high, both within and between canyons, and this is reflected in the variability of the structure and dynamics of the biological communities. [29] Our understanding of biological processes in canyons has greatly improved with the use of submersibles and ROVs, but this research has also revealed that the relationships between fauna and canyons are more complex than previously thought. [30] [31] The diversity of submarine canyons and their fauna means that it is difficult to make generalisations that can be used to create policies for canyon ecosystem management. It is important that the role of canyons in maintaining biodiversity, and how potential anthropogenic impacts may affect this, [32] [33] is better understood. HERMIONE will address this challenge by examining canyon ecosystems from different biogeochemical provinces and topographic settings, in light of the complex interactions among habitat (topography, water masses, currents), mass and energy transfer, and biological communities.

Open slopes and deep basins

Open slopes and deep basins make up > 90% of the ocean floor and 65% of the Earth's surface, and many of the goods and services provided by the deep sea (e.g., oil, gas, climate regulation and food) are produced and stored by them. They are intricately involved in global biogeochemical and ecological processes, and so are essential for the functioning of our biosphere and human wellbeing.

Recent research in the HERMES (EC-FP6) project gathered a large body of information on local biodiversity at large scales, different latitudes and in different hotspot ecosystems, but the research also highlighted the high degree of complexity of deep-sea habitats. This information is fundamental to our understanding of the factors that control biodiversity at much larger scales, from hundreds to thousands of kilometres. HERMIONE will conduct further studies on the mosaic of habitats found in deep-sea slopes and basins, and will investigate the relationships within and between these habitats, their biodiversity and ecology, and their interconnection with other hotspot ecosystems.

Investigating the impacts of anthropogenic activities and climate change in the deep sea is a theme that runs through all HERMIONE research. To the biological communities on open slopes and in deep basins, seafloor warming through climate change is a major threat. Up to 85% of methane reservoirs along the continental margin could be destabilised, which would not only release climate-warming methane gas into the atmosphere, but would also have unknown and potentially devastating consequences on benthic communities. The role of climatic variation on deep-sea benthos is not well understood, although large-scale changes in the structure of seafloor communities have been observed over the last two decades. The use of long-term, deep-sea observatories, e.g., the Hausgarten deep-sea observatory in the Arctic and the time-series analysis of the Catalan margin and Southern Adriatic Sea, will help HERMIONE scientists to examine recent changes in benthic communities, and to study decadal variability in physical processes, such as the dense shelf water cascading events in submarine canyons. [28]

HERMIONE aims to provide quantitative estimates of the potential consequences of biodiversity loss on ecosystem functioning, to examine how deep-sea benthos adapt to large-scale changes, and, for the first time, to create conceptual models integrating deep-sea biodiversity and quantitative analyses of ecosystem functioning and processes.

Seamounts

Seamounts are underwater mountains that rise from the depths of the ocean, and whose summits can sometimes be found just a few hundred metres below the sea surface. To be classified as a seamount the summit must be 1000 m higher than the surrounding seafloor, [34] and under this definition there are an estimated 1000–2800 seamounts in the Atlantic Ocean and around 60 in the Mediterranean Sea. [35]

Seamounts enhance water flow through localised tides, eddies, and upwelling, and these physical processes may enhance primary production. [36] Seamounts may therefore be considered as hotspots of marine life; fauna benefit from the enhanced hydrodynamics and phytoplankton supply, and thrive on the slopes and summits. Suspension feeders, such as gorgonian sea fans and the cold-water corals like Lophelia pertusa, often dominate the rich benthic (seafloor-dwelling) communities. [37] The enhanced abundance and diversity of fauna is not limited to benthic species, as fish are known to aggregate over seamounts. [38] Unfortunately, this knowledge has led to increasing commercial exploitation of seamount fish by the fishing industry, and a number of seamount fish populations have already been depleted. Part of HERMIONE research will assess the threats and impacts of human activities on seamounts, including comparing data from seamounts in different stages of fisheries exploitation to understand more about the impacts of fishing activities., both on target species and non-target species, and their habitats.

Despite our increasing knowledge on seamounts, there is still very little known about the relationships between their ecosystem functioning and biodiversity, and that of the surrounding areas. This information is vital in order to improve our understanding of connectivity between seamount hotspots and adjacent areas, and HERMIONE research will aim to discover whether seamounts act as centres of speciation (the evolution of new species), or if they play a role as "stepping stones", allowing fauna to colonise and disperse across the oceans.

Chemosynthetic ecosystems

Chemosynthetic environments - such as hot vents, cold seeps, mud volcanoes and sulphidic brine pools - show the highest biomass and productivity of all deep-sea ecosystems. The chemicals found in the fluids, gases and mud that escape from such systems provide an energy source for chemosynthetic bacteria and archaea, which are the primary producers in these systems. A huge variety of fauna profits from the association with chemosynthetic microbes, supporting large communities that can exist independently of sunlight. Some of these environments, such as methane (cold) seeps, can support up to 50,000 times more biomass than communities that rely on photosynthetic production alone. [39] Owing to the extreme gradients and diversity in physical and chemical factors, hydrothermal vents also remain incredibly fascinating ecosystems. HERMIONE researchers aim to illustrate the tight coupling between geosphere and biosphere processes, as well as their immense heterogeneity and interconnectivity, by observing and comparing the spatial and temporal variation of chemosynthetic environments in European Sea’s.

Methane cycling and carbonate formation by microorganisms in chemosynthetic environments have implications for the control of greenhouse gases. [40] [41] Methane can be trapped and stored under the seabed as a gas hydrate, and under different conditions, can either be controlled by microbial consumption, or can escape into the surrounding seawater, and ultimately the atmosphere. Our understanding of the biological controls of methane seepage and feedback mechanisms for global warming is limited. The distribution and structure of cold seep communities can act as an indicator for changes in methane fluxes in the deep sea, e.g. by seafloor warming. [42] Using multibeam echosounder data and 3D seismic data with in situ studies at seep sites, and by investigating the life histories of fauna at such ecosystems, HERMIONE scientists aim to understand more about their interconnectivity and resilience, and the implications for climate change.

The great variety of fauna present in chemosynthetic environments is a real challenge to scientists. Only a tiny fraction of microorganisms at vents and seeps has been identified, and a huge amount is still to be discovered. Their identification, their association with fauna, and the relationship between their diversity, function and habitat, are vital areas of research as biological communities act as important filters, controlling up to 100% of vent and seep emissions. [42] By using DNA barcoding and genome analysis in addition to traditional methods of identification and experimentation, HERMIONE scientists will study the relationship between community structure and ecosystem functioning at a variety of vents, seeps, brine pools and mud volcanoes.

Socio-economics, governance and science-policy interfaces

With increasing ocean exploration over the last two decades has come the realisation that humans have had an extensive impact on the world’s oceans, not just close to our shores, but also reaching down into the deep sea. From destructive fishing practices and exploitation of mineral resources to pollution and litter, evidence of human impact can be found in virtually all deep-sea ecosystems. [43] [44] In response, the international community has set a series of ambitious goals aimed at protecting the marine environment and its resources for future generations. Three of these initiatives, decided on by world leaders during the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg), are to achieve a significant reduction in biodiversity loss by 2010, to introduce an ecosystems approach to marine resource assessment and management by 2010, and to designate a network of marine protected areas by 2012. A crucial requirement for implementing these is the availability of high-quality scientific data and knowledge, as well as effective science-policy interfaces to ensure the policy relevance of research and to enable the rapid translation of scientific information into science policy.

HERMIONE aims to provide this by filling the knowledge gap about threatened deep-sea ecosystems and their current status with respect to anthropogenic impacts (e.g. litter, chemical contamination). Socio-economists and natural scientists work together in HERMIONE, researching the socio-economics of anthropogenic impacts, mapping human activities that affect the deep sea, assessing the potential for valuing deep-sea ecosystem goods and services, studying governance options and designing and implementing real-time science-policy interfaces.

HERMIONE natural and social science results will provide national, regional (EU), and global policy-makers and other stakeholders with the information needed to establish policies to ensure the sustainable use of the deep ocean and conservation of deep-sea ecosystems.

Related Research Articles

Seamount A mountain rising from the ocean seafloor that does not reach to the waters surface

A seamount is a large geologic landform that rises from the ocean floor but that does not reach to the water's surface, and thus is not an island, islet or cliff-rock. Seamounts are typically formed from extinct volcanoes that rise abruptly and are usually found rising from the seafloor to 1,000–4,000 m (3,300–13,100 ft) in height. They are defined by oceanographers as independent features that rise to at least 1,000 m (3,281 ft) above the seafloor, characteristically of conical form. The peaks are often found hundreds to thousands of meters below the surface, and are therefore considered to be within the deep sea. During their evolution over geologic time, the largest seamounts may reach the sea surface where wave action erodes the summit to form a flat surface. After they have subsided and sunk below the sea surface such flat-top seamounts are called "guyots" or "tablemounts".

Cold seep Ocean floor area where hydrogen sulfide, methane and other hydrocarbon-rich fluid seepage occurs

A cold seep is an area of the ocean floor where hydrogen sulfide, methane and other hydrocarbon-rich fluid seepage occurs, often in the form of a brine pool. Cold does not mean that the temperature of the seepage is lower than that of the surrounding sea water. On the contrary, its temperature is often slightly higher. The "cold" is relative to the very warm conditions of a hydrothermal vent. Cold seeps constitute a biome supporting several endemic species.

Abyssal plain Flat area on the deep ocean floor

An abyssal plain is an underwater plain on the deep ocean floor, usually found at depths between 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) and 6,000 metres (20,000 ft). Lying generally between the foot of a continental rise and a mid-ocean ridge, abyssal plains cover more than 50% of the Earth's surface. They are among the flattest, smoothest, and least explored regions on Earth. Abyssal plains are key geologic elements of oceanic basins.

Whale fall Whale carcass in an ocean bathyal or abyssal zone, and the resulting ecosystem

A whale fall occurs when the carcass of a whale has fallen onto the ocean floor at a depth greater than 1,000 m (3,300 ft), in the bathyal or abyssal zones. On the sea floor, these carcasses can create complex localized ecosystems that supply sustenance to deep-sea organisms for decades. This is unlike in shallower waters, where a whale carcass will be consumed by scavengers over a relatively short period of time. Whale falls were first observed in the late 1970s with the development of deep-sea robotic exploration. Since then, several natural and experimental whale falls have been monitored through the use of observations from submersibles and remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) in order to understand patterns of ecological succession on the deep seafloor.

Brine pool large area of brine on the ocean basin

A brine pool, sometimes called an underwater, a deepwater lake, or a brine lake, is a volume of brine collected in a seafloor depression. The pools are dense bodies of water that have a salinity that is three to eight times greater than the surrounding ocean. Brine pools are commonly found below polar sea ice and in the deep ocean. Those below sea ice form through a process called brine rejection. For deep-sea brine pools, salt is necessary to increase the salinity gradient. The salt can come from one of two processes: the dissolution of large salt deposits through salt tectonics or geothermally heated brine issued from tectonic spreading centers. The brine often contains high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide and methane, which provide energy to chemosynthetic organisms that live near the pool. These creatures are often extremophiles and symbionts. Deep-sea and polar brine pools are toxic to marine animals due to their high salinity and anoxic properties, which can ultimately lead to toxic shock and possibly death. The frequency of brine pool formation coupled with their uniquely high salinity has made them a candidate for research regarding ways to harness their properties to improve human science.

Adams Seamount is a submarine volcano above the Pitcairn hotspot in the central Pacific Ocean about 100 kilometres (62 mi) southwest of Pitcairn Island.

Bear Seamount Flat-topped underwater volcano in the Atlantic Ocean, the oldest of the New England Seamounts

The Bear Seamount is a guyot or flat-topped underwater volcano in the Atlantic Ocean. It is the oldest of the New England Seamounts, which was active more than 100 million years ago. It was formed when the North American Plate moved over the New England hotspot. It is located inside the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, which was proclaimed by President of the United States Barack Obama to protect the seamount's biodiversity.

Davidson Seamount Underwater volcano off the coast of Central California, southwest of Monterey

Davidson Seamount is a seamount located off the coast of Central California, 80 mi (129 km) southwest of Monterey and 75 mi (121 km) west of San Simeon. At 26 mi (42 km) long and 8 mi (13 km) wide, it is one of the largest known seamounts in the world. From base to crest, the seamount is 7,480 ft (2,280 m) tall, yet its summit is still 4,101 ft (1,250 m) below the sea surface. The seamount is biologically diverse, with 237 species and 27 types of deep-sea coral having been identified.

Anton Dohrn Seamount Guyot in the Rockall Trough in the northeast Atlantic

The Anton Dohrn Seamount is a guyot in the Rockall Trough in the northeast Atlantic. It is 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi) high and is topped with pinnacles, one of which reaches a depth of 530 metres (1,740 ft). Away from the flat top upon which the pinnacles rest, the slopes fall off steeply into the Rockall Trough and a moat in the sediment that surrounds the seamount.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and introduction to Oceanography.

Deep-water coral

The habitat of deep-water corals, also known as cold-water corals, extends to deeper, darker parts of the oceans than tropical corals, ranging from near the surface to the abyss, beyond 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) where water temperatures may be as cold as 4 °C (39 °F). Deep-water corals belong to the Phylum Cnidaria and are most often stony corals, but also include black and thorny corals and soft corals including the Gorgonians. Like tropical corals, they provide habitat to other species, but deep-water corals do not require zooxanthellae to survive.

Wild fisheries

A wild fishery is a natural body of water with a sizeable free-ranging fish or other aquatic animal population that can be harvested for its commercial value. Wild fisheries can be marine (saltwater) or lacustrine/riverine (freshwater), and rely heavily on the carrying capacity of the local aquatic ecosystem.

Deep sea community Groups of organisms living deep below the sea surface sharing a habitat

A deep sea community is any community of organisms associated by a shared habitat in the deep sea. Deep sea communities remain largely unexplored, due to the technological and logistical challenges and expense involved in visiting this remote biome. Because of the unique challenges, it was long believed that little life existed in this hostile environment. Since the 19th century however, research has demonstrated that significant biodiversity exists in the deep sea.

Biogeography of Deep-Water Chemosynthetic Ecosystems Project to determine the biogeography and understand the processes driving these systems

The Biogeography of Deep-Water Chemosynthetic Ecosystems is a field project of the Census of Marine Life programme (CoML). The main aim of ChEss is to determine the biogeography of deep-water chemosynthetic ecosystems at a global scale and to understand the processes driving these ecosystems. ChEss addresses the main questions of CoML on diversity, abundance and distribution of marine species, focusing on deep-water reducing environments such as hydrothermal vents, cold seeps, whale falls, sunken wood and areas of low oxygen that intersect with continental margins and seamounts.

Ocean Networks Canada is a University of Victoria initiative that operates the NEPTUNE and VENUS cabled ocean observatories in the northeast Pacific Ocean and the Salish Sea. Additionally, Ocean Networks Canada operates smaller community-based observatories offshore from Cambridge Bay, Nunavut., Campbell River, Kitamaat Village and Digby Island. These observatories collect data on physical, chemical, biological, and geological aspects of the ocean over long time periods. As with other ocean observatories such as ESONET, Ocean Observatories Initiative, MACHO and DONET, scientific instruments connected to Ocean Networks Canada are operated remotely and provide continuous streams of freely available data to researchers and the public. Over 200 gigabytes of data are collected every day.

Vema Seamount Seamount in the South Atlantic east of Cape Town

Vema Seamount is a seamount in the South Atlantic Ocean. Discovered in 1959 by a ship with the same name, it lies 1,600 kilometres (1,000 mi) from Tristan da Cunha and 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) northwest of Cape Town. The seamount has a flat top at a mean depth of 73 metres which was eroded into the seamount at a time when sea levels were lower; the shallowest point lies at 26 metres depth. The seamount was formed between 15-11 million years ago, possibly by a hotspot.

NOAAS Okeanos Explorer Gulf of Mexico 2017 Expedition The first of three expeditions on the NOAAS Okeanos Explorer intended to increase the understanding of the deep-sea environment in the Gulf of Mexico

NOASS Okeanos Explorer Gulf of Mexico 2017 Expedition was the first of three expeditions on the NOAAS Okeanos Explorer intended to increase the understanding of the deep-sea environment in the Gulf of Mexico. Gulf of Mexico 2017 was a 23-day telepresence-enabled expedition focused on acquiring data on priority exploration areas identified by ocean management and scientific communities. The goal of the expedition was to use remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dives and seafloor mapping operations to increase the understanding of the deep-sea ecosystems in these areas to support management decisions. Many of the areas had no sonar data, these areas were top priority for high-resolution bathymetry collection. The expedition established a baseline of information in the region to catalyze further exploration, research, and management activities. The expedition lasted from 29 November 2017 to 21 December 2017.

Charles R. Fisher "Chuck" is a marine biologist, microbial ecologist, and leader in the field of autotrophic symbiosis in deep sea cold seeps and hydrothermal vents. He is Professor Emeritus and Distinguished Senior Scholar of Biology at Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Fisher has authored/coauthored over 100 publications in journals such as Nature, Oceanography, and PNAS among others. He heads the Fisher Deep-Sea Lab at Penn State, which primarily investigates the physiological ecology of the major chemoautotrophic symbiont-containing fauna in the deep ocean environment. The lab works closely with other interdisciplinary researchers on expeditions to research sites at cold seeps in the Gulf of Mexico and hydrothermal vent sites on the East Pacific Rise, the Juan de Fuca Ridge, and in the Lau back-arc Basin.

Lisa A. Levin is a Distinguished Professor of biological oceanography and marine ecology at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She holds the Elizabeth Hamman and Morgan Dene Oliver Chair in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation Science. She studies coastal and deep-sea ecosystems and is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Coral Patch Seamount Seamount between Madeira and Portugal

Coral Patch Seamount is a seamount between Madeira and mainland Portugal in the North Atlantic Ocean. It is an elongated 120 kilometres (75 mi) long and 70 kilometres (43 mi) wide mountain that rises to a depth of about 645 metres (2,116 ft), with nine volcanic cones on its summit. It has steeper southern slopes and a gentle northern slope. To its west lies Ampére Seamount, and together with several neighbouring seamounts it is one of the Horseshoe Seamounts.

References

  1. ↑ HERMIONE website, http://www.eu-hermione.net/
  2. 1 2 Weaver et al. (2009). "The future of integrated deep-sea research in Europe: The HERMIONE project". Archived 2011-05-13 at the Wayback Machine Oceanography 22 (1), March 2009.
  3. ↑ Schloesser, Manfred (2009). European deep-sea research: Climate changes and deep-sea ecosystems in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Innovations Report (website).
  4. ↑ "HERMES website". Archived from the original on 2011-04-25. Retrieved 2009-12-09.
  5. ↑ Schloesser, Manfred (2009). Ausbrüche des Tiefsee-Schlammvulkans Haakon Mosby ("Outbreaks of the Deep Sea Mud Volcano Haakon Mosby"). Innovations Report (website).
  6. ↑ Marum - Zentrum für Marine Umweltwissenschaften an der Universität Bremen (2009). Erstmals lebende Tiefseeaustern im Mittelmeer entdeckt! ("For the First Time, Living Deep Sea Oysters Discovered in the Mediterranean!"). GMX (website).
  7. ↑ Bailey et al. (2009). "Long-term changes in deep-water fish populations in the northeast Atlantic: a deeper reaching effect of fisheries?". Proceedings of the Royal Society B 10.1098/rspb.2009.0098.
  8. ↑ See for instance the March 2009 issue of Oceanography Archived 2010-02-25 at the Wayback Machine , dedicated to HERMES, with 16 articles on its contributions. (PDFs viewable at website.)
  9. ↑ "Ecological hotspots".
  10. ↑ van Oevelen et al. (2009). "The cold-water coral community as hotspot of carbon cycling on continental margins: A food-web analysis from Rockall Bank (northeast Atlantic)". Archived 2011-07-20 at the Wayback Machine Limnology and Oceanography 54 (6), November 2009.
  11. ↑ Freiwald and Roberts (eds) (2005) "Cold-water Corals and Ecosystems" Springer, Berlin Heidelberg, 1243 pp
  12. ↑ Henry et al. (2007). "Biodiversity and ecological composition of macrobenthos on cold-water coral mounds and adjacent off-mound habitat in the bathyal Porcupine Seabight, NE Atlantic". Deep-Sea Research Part I 54 (4), April 2007
  13. ↑ Gheerardyn et al. (2009). "Diversity and community structure of harpacticoid copepods associated with cold-water coral substrates in the Porcupine Seabight (North-East Atlantic)". [ dead link ]Helgoland Marine Research 10.1007/s10152-009-0166-7
  14. ↑ Costello et al. (2005). "Role of cold-water Lophelia pertusa coral reefs as fish habitat in the NE Atlantic", in: Freiwald, A. & Roberts, J.M. (eds) Cold-water Corals and Ecosystems. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg, 771-805.
  15. ↑ Henry et al. (2006). "First record of Bedotella armata(Cnidaria:Hydrozoa) from the Porcupine Seabight:do north-east Atlantic carbonate mound fauna have Mediterranean ancestors?" Archived 2009-07-26 at the Wayback Machine Biodiversity Records
  16. ↑ Gass and Roberts (2006). "The occurrence of the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa (Scleractinia) on oil and gas platforms in the North Sea: Colony growth, recruitment and environmental controls on distribution". Marine Pollution Bulletin 52, May 2006
  17. ↑ Dolan et al. (2008). "Modelling the local distribution of cold-water corals in relation to bathymetric variables: Adding spatial context to deep-sea video data" Deep-Sea Research Part I 55 (11), November 2008
  18. ↑ Guinotte et al. (2006). "Will human-induced changes in seawater chemistry alter the distribution of deep-sea scleractinian corals?" Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 4 (3)
  19. ↑ Dodds et al. (2007). "Metabolic tolerance of the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa (Scleractinia) to temperature and dissolved oxygen change" Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 349 (2), October 2007
  20. ↑ Duineveld et al. (2007). "Trophic structure of a cold-water corals mound community (Rockall Bank, NE Atlantic) in relation to the near-bottom particle supply and current regime" [ permanent dead link ]Bulletin of Marine Science 81 (3), November 2007
  21. ↑ Dullo et al. (2008) "Cold-water coral growth in relation to the hydrography of the Celtic and Nordic European Continental Margin". Marine Ecology Progress Series 371, November 2008
  22. ↑ Tyler et al. (2009). "Europe's Grand Canyon" Archived 2010-02-25 at the Wayback Machine Oceanography 22 (1), March 2009
  23. ↑ Shepard et al. (1979). "Currents in submarine canyons and other seavalleys" AAPG Studies in Geology (8), Tulsa, OK
  24. ↑ Carson et al. (1986) "Modern sediment dispersal and accumulation in Quinault submarine canyon - a summary" Marine Geology 71 (1-2) p1-13
  25. 1 2 De Stigter et al. (2007). "Recent sediment transport and deposition in the Nazaré Canyon, Portuguese continental margin" [ dead link ]Marine Geology 46, December 2007
  26. ↑ Palanques et al. (2008). "Storm-driven shelf-to-canyon suspended sediment transport at the southwestern Gulf of Lions" Continental Shelf Research 28 (15) p1947-1956, August 2008
  27. ↑ Arzola et al. (2008). "Sedimentary features and processes in the Nazaré and Setúbal submarine canyons, west Iberian margin" [ dead link ]Marine Geology 250 (1-2) p64-88, April 2008.
  28. 1 2 Canals et al. (2006). "Flushing submarine canyons" Nature 444, p3574-357, September 2006
  29. ↑ Pattenden (2009) "The influence of submarine canyons on the structure and dynamics of megafauna communities" PhD Thesis, University of Southampton
  30. ↑ Garcia et al. (2007). "Distribution of meiobenthos in the Nazaré canyon and adjacent slope (western Iberian Margin)in relation to sedimentary composition" Marine Ecology Progress Series 340, p207-220, June 2007
  31. ↑ Pattenden et al. (in prep.) "Megafauna community composition in two contrasting submarine canyons"
  32. ↑ Richter et al. (2009). "Dispersal of natural and anthropogenic lead through submarine canyons at the Portuguese margin" [ dead link ]Deep-Sea Research Part I 56, February 2009
  33. ↑ Martin et al. (2008). "Effect of commercial trawling on the deep sedimentation in a Mediterranean submarine canyon" Marine Geology 252 (3-4), July 2008
  34. ↑ Wessel, P. (2007) "Seamount characteristics" p. 3-25 in Seamounts: Ecology, Fisheries and Conservation. T.J. Pitcher, T. Morato, P.J.B. Hart, M.R. Clark, N. Haggan, and R.S. Santos (eds), Fish and Aquatic Resource Series, Blackwell, Oxford, UK.
  35. ↑ Kitchingman, A., Lai, S., Morato, T., and Pauly, D. (2007). "How many seamounts are there and where are they located?" p.26-40 in Seamounts: Ecology, Fisheries and Conservation. T.J. Pitcher, T. Morato, P.J.B. Hart, M.R. Clark, N. Haggan, and R.S. Santos (eds), Fish and Aquatic Resource Series, Blackwell, Oxford, UK.
  36. ↑ White, M., Bashmachnikov, I., Aristegui, H., and Martins, A. (2007). "Physical processes and seamount productivity" p.65-84 in Seamounts: Ecology, Fisheries and Conservation. T.J. Pitcher, T. Morato, P.J.B. Hart, M.R. Clark, N. Haggan, and R.S. Santos (eds), Fish and Aquatic Resource Series, Blackwell, Oxford, UK.
  37. ↑ Rogers, A., Baco, A., Griffiths, H., Hart, T., and Hall-Spencer, J.M. (2007). "Corals on seamounts" p.141-169 in Seamounts: Ecology, Fisheries and Conservation. T.J. Pitcher, T. Morato, P.J.B. Hart, M.R. Clark, N. Haggan, and R.S. Santos (eds), Fish and Aquatic Resource Series, Blackwell, Oxford, UK.
  38. ↑ Morato, T. and Clark, M.R. (2007). "Seamount fishes: Ecology and life histories" p.170-188 in Seamounts: Ecology, Fisheries and Conservation. T.J. Pitcher, T. Morato, P.J.B. Hart, M.R. Clark, N. Haggan, and R.S. Santos (eds), Fish and Aquatic Resource Series, Blackwell, Oxford, UK.
  39. ↑ Sibuet, M. and Olu-Le Roy, K. (2002)"Cold seep communities on continental margins: Structure and quantitative distribution relative to geological and fluid venting patterns". Pp. 235-251 in Ocean Margin Systems Wefer, G., Billett, D.S.M., Hebbeln, D., Jorgensen, B.B., Schluter, M. and Van Weering, T.C.M. (eds), Springer Verlag, Berlin
  40. ↑ Boetius, A. et al. (2007) "A marine microbial consortium apparently mediating anaerobic oxidation of methane" Nature 407, p.623-626, August 2000
  41. ↑ Parkes, R.J. et al. (2007) "Biogeochemistry and biodiversity of methane cycling in subsurface marine sediments (Skagerrak, Denmark)" Environmental Microbiology, 9, p.1146-1161
  42. 1 2 Niemann H. et al.(2006) "Novel microbial communities of the Haakon Mosby mud volcano and their role as a methane sink" Nature 443, p.854-858, August 2006
  43. ↑ Bailey, D.M., Collins, M.A., Gordon, J.D.M., Zuur, A.F., and Priede, I.G. (2009) "Long-term changes in deep-water fish populations in the northeast Atlantic: a deeper reaching effect of fisheries?" Proceedings of the Royal Society B doi : 10.1098/rspb.2009.0098, March 2009
  44. ↑ Galil, B.S., Golik, A., and Turkay, M. (1995) "Litter at the bottom of the sea: A sea bed survey in the Eastern Mediterranean" Marine Pollution Bulletin 30, p22-24, January 1995
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.