seamounts

California Seamounts Are Sylvia Earle’s Newest “Hope Spots”

12 June, 2019

Source: Hakai Magazine
Author: Matt Koller

Nearly 180 kilometers off the coast of San Diego, California, there’s a surf break that, from time to time, spawns waves rising taller than two telephone poles stacked on top of each other. They inspire awe—and caution—in those driving the boats carrying big-wave surfers in search of the next world record. Yet there’s another hazard lurking in these waters: Bishop Rock, the summit of an enormous underwater mountain, lies just a meter or two below the surface. When the sea is particularly rough, Bishop Rock can poke its head through the troughs of larger swells.

Continue reading California Seamounts Are Sylvia Earle’s Newest “Hope Spots”

A petition to ban bottom trawling on underwater mountains has amassed 20,000 signatures in one week.

23 May, 2019

Source: Radio NZ
Author: Kate Gudsell

The petition was launched by environmental groups the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, ECO, Forest and Bird, Greenpeace, LegaSea and WWF-New Zealand as well as recreational fishers.

It is calling for the government to ban the destructive practice on seamounts, or submarine mountains, and other ecologically sensitive areas.

A recent report from NIWA on the impact of bottom trawling, concluded that the benthic communities on the seamounts had low resilience to the effects of bottom trawling.

It said New Zealand’s major deepwater fisheries occur on seamounts for a number of fish species, including orange roughy.

Continue reading here.

Volcanic Underwater World Discovered Off Coast of Tasmania

18 October, 2018

Source: News18

Scientists claim to have discovered a new underwater world off the Tasmanian coast made up of volcanic mountain peaks that tower about 3km from the seafloor.

During a 25-day research expedition, a team of researchers from the Australia National University detected the chain of volcanic seamounts 400km east of Tasmania using detailed seafloor mapping technology.

A seamount is a mountain that rises from the ocean floor but remains below the water surface.

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Whales, seabirds drawn to chain of volcanic seamounts off Tasmanian coast

8 October, 2018

Source: ABC News
Author: Carla Howarth

Scientists have uncovered a chain of volcanic seamounts towering up to three kilometres from the seafloor off Tasmania’s east coast which are proving a food magnet for marine life.

The underwater mountains, which are nearly 2 kilometres below the surface, were mapped by the CSIRO’s research vessel Investigator, 400 kilometres off the coast.

Dr Tara Martin, from the CSIRO mapping team, said some of the seamounts have sharp peaks while others have wide flat plateaus.

Continue reading Whales, seabirds drawn to chain of volcanic seamounts off Tasmanian coast

Researchers discover mesmerizing underwater world teeming with new life

7 August, 2018

Source: MNN
Author: Christian Cotroneo

If the planet stands any chance of keeping a secret from prying humans, it’s deep in the oceans.

In fact, we’ve long known there are sprawling ranges — called seamounts — deep underwater, many as breathtakingly grand as anything we’ve seen on terra firma.

Being in the deepest depths, those clandestine cliffs and nebulous valleys elude not just human eyes, but even sea-probing satellites and sonar-equipped ships.

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MH370 search data unveils fishing hotspots, ancient underwater volcanoes

19 July, 2017

Source: Stuff.co.nz
Author: Tom Westbrook and Jonathan Barrett

Detailed sea-floor maps made during the unsuccessful search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, released by Australia on Wednesday, could help increase the knowledge of rich fisheries and the prehistoric movement of the earth’s southern continents.

Continue reading MH370 search data unveils fishing hotspots, ancient underwater volcanoes