14 December – 10 January 2025
#ArgentinianDeepSeeps #vidaenlosextremos
Methane and other energy-rich gases escape from the ocean floor, creating landscapes that support an ecosystem adapted to survive independent of the sun’s energy. Typically, only a fraction of the gases that escape these cold seeps reach the sea surface because microbes and animals consume them through a process known as chemosynthesis, which provides the trophic basis for nurturing lush and unique animal communities.
Led by Dr. María Emilia Bravo from the Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences – University of Buenos Aires, and the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Argentina, this local science team, in collaboration with international scientists, will undertake the first and most comprehensive visually guided study of Argentina’s cold seeps. They will characterize the biodiversity, functions, and habitats of deep-sea benthic ecosystems using the ROV SuBastian and their own cutting-edge methods. They seek to understand how the animal communities live and interact with localized physical, geological, and chemical conditions as well as with surrounding deep-sea ecosystems. They will also examine the amount and type of microplastics in the chemosynthetic habitats they encounter. Data collected during this expedition will constitute a regional baseline for managing resources and monitoring the impacts of industrial activities and climate change
