Off the coasts of Chile and Peru, along the entire length of western South America, the ocean floor drops sharply and abruptly into the depths of the Pacific Ocean. This region, known as the Chilean margin, is defined by three tectonic plates that slide beneath the continental plate of South America.
This process generates some interesting activities. At the joints where the plates meet, volcanic activity bubbles up from the ocean floor, injecting warmth and chemicals into the deep ocean. And where such hydrothermal activity is active, the entire ecosystem far below the waves becomes active as well.
From aboard the Schmidt Oceanographic Institute research ship Falcor (also)A team of marine scientists led by Jeffrey Marlowe of Boston University in the US, Patricia Esquete of the University of Aveiro in Portugal, and Eulogio Soto of the University of Valparaíso in Chile is studying these ecosystems to determine their diversity and distribution. I took on the challenge of creating a map. Marine life that swarms in the deep sea.
The 55-day expedition began on October 11th and is already packed with surprising data. And as part of their data collection, researchers are using remote-controlled underwater vehicles to capture stunning video of sights that are normally off-limits. Subastian.
“When marine life dies, it sinks to the ocean floor, becomes buried in sediment, and decomposes, allowing methane to slowly accumulate. Eventually, the gas escapes upward through cracks and crevices, causing methane to A gush is formed.” Institute explains.
“Chemosynthetic microorganisms, small single-celled organisms, convert methane into energy for growth, forming carbonate rocks in the process. These seeps are known to be important habitats. , as microorganisms consume methane, this greenhouse gas remains trapped on the ocean floor and in our atmosphere.
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The expedition is still underway, so scientific results may be a long way off, but you can watch some videos. The incredible compilation suggests many more treasures to come.
Highlights include an ocean floor filled with spider crabs. Leaf board Tubeworms are so abundant that they form reef-like structures around which entire food webs thrive. Skates, starfish, sea anemones. and mother gonatus onyx squid carrying eggs around it On a blanket-like membrane, After several months of careful cultivation teeth shaken violently to help her children hatch and swim freely.
Another video posted on Instagram shows the polychaete worm rippling along the ocean floor, its hair shining in iridescent colors. These invertebrates are highly diverse and play important ecological roles as predators, prey, and scavengers of marine debris.
The expedition is scheduled to last until December 5th. Until then, researchers will focus on an area called , searching for previously undiscovered seeps and vents. Triple Junction in Chile. This is the point where the Nazca and Antarctic plates subduct beneath the South American plate.
Where the former two plates meet, a ridge runs perpendicular to the subduction zone. This is the only place in the world where an ocean ridge is subducting beneath a continental plate. This means even more marine life awaits discovery in some of the ocean’s most dynamic geophysical environments.
You can accompany the Schmidt Ocean Research Institute’s expedition team. YouTube and Instagram page.
