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Australian scientists have discovered a hitherto unknown chain of volcanic seamounts near Tasmania. The area seems to be full of marine life, including a surprising number of whales that could use underwater volcanoes as a navigational tool.
The volcanic chain was discovered by scientists from the Australian National University and CSIRO, the Australian National Science Agency, during a 25-day mission aboard the research vessel. Investigator make detailed maps of the seabed in the area. The submarine volcanoes are about 400 km east of Tasmania, and they are quite deep.
"Our multibeam mapping revealed for the first time in great detail a chain of volcanic seamounts rising from an abyssal plain to about 5,000 meters above sea level. [16,400 feet] Tara Martin, a member of CSIRO's mapping team, said in a statement. "Seamounts vary in size and shape, some with sharp peaks, others flat and wide plateaus, dotted with small conical hills that would have been formed by ancient volcanic activity."
The highest seamount stretches 3,000 meters from the bottom, so they are not tiny. It is hard to believe that something so vast has gone unnoticed for so long, but our oceans are notoriously under-researched. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, only 20% of the Earth's oceans have been explored.
"Having detailed maps of these areas is important to help us better manage and protect these unique marine environments and is a springboard for future research," Martin said. "This landscape is very diverse and will undoubtedly be a biological hotspot that will support a dazzling array of marine life."
Indeed, the volcanic chain was not the only thing that caught the attention of researchers; Seamounts seem to be a kind of oasis in the middle of the ocean for many marine organisms. In addition to finding numerous amounts of plankton in the area, researchers have observed various seabirds and a surprising number of whales.
"We estimated that at least 28 humpback whales visited us one day, followed by a group of 60 to 80 pilot whales," said Eric Woehler, a researcher at BirdLife Tasmania, who participated in the survey. Shipping a statement. "We have also seen a large number of seabirds in the area, including four species of albatross and four species of petrels. Clearly, these seamounts are a biological hotspot that supports life, both directly on them, as well as in the ocean above. "
The researchers say that volcanic seamounts are probably important stopping points for migratory animals, especially whales, which depend on seafloor structures for navigation. Researchers say that volcanoes are probably important landmarks because whales travel from their winter breeding grounds to summer feeding grounds.
The team now wants to know more about this volcanic chain hitherto unknown. They plan to return later this year for two missions aboard the Investigator In November and December, they will capture high resolution videos of marine life and collect rock samples. It would be good to know, for example, if these seamounts have shown recent volcanic activity, or if hydrothermal vents are at the bottom of the sea.
There is a lot of coolness over these volcanic seamounts, but the real price could be expected at the bottom. Two years ago, for example, researchers discovered a batch of unknown marine creatures, such as a new species of moleworm, near a hydrothermal vent located 2,000 kilometers southeast of Madagascar. And later this year, fingers crossed, scientists will be able to explore the mysterious seabed exposed by the gigantic iceberg of Antarctica A-68.
So who knows what they could find near these seamounts? We will follow the progress of the team to keep you informed of all the discoveries.
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