Postby TriP » October 30th, 2017, 6:42 pm
After discovering two new cold seeps east off Trinidad in 2014 , local marine biologists Dr Diva Amon and Judith Gobin, will finally release its findings in the scientific journal, Frontiers in Marine Science, on Monday.
Cold seeps are areas where fluids rich in hydrogen sulfide and methane leak from the seafloor,similar to hydrothermal vents.This fluid provides the energy to sustain large communities of life in hard conditions that exist in the deep sea.
They are oases of life and possess huge abundances of unique endemic animals.
Dr Amon, a postdoctoral researcher and lead scientist in the first locally-led deep-sea study here in T&T described these sea communities as “absolutely amazing” while Dr Gobin, lecturer in Marine Ecology/Coastal Ecosystems Management in the Department of Life Sciences at The University of the West Indies, said she is “pleased to engaging in this cutting edge exploration.”
At the seep sites which were named after two Trinbagonian female folklore characters:La Diablesse and Mama D’Leau, 83 species of animals were recorded including purple octopus, a white sponge and an orange anemone.
Take a look of some of the species documented here.
1. Marine biologists Dr Diva Amon(right) and Dr Judith Gobin (left)
2. A new species of Graneledone octopus seen by its Bathymodiolus shell midden at “Dome 1"
3. B. childressi,Alvinocariscf.muricola, Pachycara caribbaeum,and Gastropoda sp. 1 at a methane seep at “La Diablesse.”
4. Chaceoncf.fenneriand amphipods consume a Bathymodiolus childressiat “Dome 1
5. Chemosynthetic communities in depressions at “Mama D’Leau,” dominated byB. childressi, are surrounded by authigeniccarbonates hosting Haplosclerida n. sp. and Lamellibrachia sp
6. The methane seep on “Dome 2” containing methane hydrate under an authigenic carbonateledge surrounded byBathymodiolus childressi,Lamellibrachiasp. 2 and other fauna.
7. Bathymodiolusshell aggregations, which can sometimes have discrete bushes of Lamellibrachiasp.
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