High-tech submarine survey finds biological hot spot, probably 2,000 meters below surface

A newly detailed map of the seabed shows an immense underwater world, never seen before, full of multi-mile seamounts that are home to a biodiversity hotspot, reports the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization. CSIRO) in Australia.

An underwater mountain range, or volcanic seamount, was recorded 400 kilometers east of Tasmania Island during a 25-day Investigator, The only Australian research vessel on blue waters. The highest seamount is 3,000 meters from the seabed, but the summit of the peaks is still nearly 2,000 meters below the surface of the ocean.

"Our multibeam mapping revealed for the first time in great detail a chain of volcanic seamounts rising from an abyssal plain of about 5,000m depth," said the researcher. from CSIRO, Tara Martin. "Seamounts vary in size and shape, some having sharp peaks while others have broad flat plateaus, dotted with small conical hills that would have been formed by ancient volcanic activity."

The data collected by the team show ocean productivity peaks on the group of seamounts, probably caused by phytoplankton, unicellular floating plant organisms and marine mammals that feed on them.

"This landscape is very diverse and will undoubtedly be a biological hotspot supporting a dazzling array of marine life," Martin said.

Another researcher, Eric Woehler, said he was "stunned" by the number of marine mammals and seabirds identified during their research, which included four species of albatrosses, four species of petrels and dozens of whales.

"While we were above the chain of seamounts, large numbers of pilot whales and large pilot whales visited the ship," said Eric Woehler of BirdLife Tasmania. "We estimated that at least 28 individual humpback whales visited us one day, followed by a group of 60 to 80 pilot whales the next day."

Previous research has suggested that whales and other migratory undersea animals could use seamounts for navigation purposes. Mapping a potentially diverse area could help protect and manage the area for endangered animals, while providing a foundation for future research.

CSIRO is Australia's national science agency. Operate the Investigator year-round, the agency plans to return later this year for two more expeditions dedicated to collecting rock samples and capturing the underwater landscape with high-resolution cameras.