During the scientific expedition Oceano Azul, a new hydrothermal field was discovered in the Azores.
This is the first time, an expedition organized by a Portuguese institution, led by Portuguese scientists in partnership with international partners, and using national ships and means finds a deep sea hydrothermal field in Portuguese waters.
The expedition is organized by the Oceano Azul Foundation in partnership with the Waitt Foundation and National Geographic Pristine Seas, and with the collaboration of the Portuguese Navy through the Hydrographic Institute, the regional Government of the Azores and the Portuguese Task Group for the Extension of the Continental Shelf (EMEPC) with the ROV “LUSO”. It is one of the most comprehensive expeditions ever put together in Portuguese waters and aims at exploring some of the least known areas of the Azores sea to promote marine conservation under the framework of the Blue Azores Program of Oceano Azul Foundation.
Several scientists from Portuguese institutions also participate, from IMAR, MARE, CCMAR, CIBIO and the University of the Azores, as well as international scientists from the University of Hawaii, University of California Santa Barbara, University of Western Australia, and CSIC, IEO and Sea Museum of Ceuta in Spain.
Onboard the Portuguese navy ship “NRP Almirante Gago Coutinho” of the Hydrographic Institute under the mission to Map the Portuguese Sea, the scientific team dedicated to the study of deep sea ecosystems found, through dives of the “LUSO” ROV of EMEPC, a new hydrothermal field.
According to Emanuel Gonçalves, expedition co-leader, together with Paul Rose from National Geographic, and Member of the Board of the Oceano Azul Foundation, “this is an extraordinary discovery since this hydrothermal field is shallower than all others known in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and at only 60 miles from Faial island, which represents a unique opportunity for the scientific community to study a more accessible site and understand how these poorly studied ecosystems function. This discovery reinforces the unique role of the Azores as a natural laboratory for the study of the ocean”.
Telmo Morato, principal investigator of the Oceano Azul Expedition team dedicated to the deep ocean studies with the ROV and researcher from IMAR and the Azores University, states that “the hydrothermal fields are ridges of volcanic activity in the deep ocean where warm fluids rich in minerals create the conditions for the development of a unique ecosystem that does not depend on the sunlight. The hydrothermal field now discovered is composed of multiple chimneys of different heights. The hydrothermal fluids are transparent, slightly warmer than the outside and rich in carbon dioxide. Evidence was found of the existence of bacteria associated with this hydrothermal field. This discovery of the Oceano Azul Expedition shows that there is still a lot to discover in the Portuguese sea, being the Azores a unique region for the study of the deep ocean.”
Most of the hydrothermal fields are located in zones of separation of tectonic plates, such as the mid-Atlantic Ridge that separates the western group of islands from the central group of the Azores archipelago, precisely where the Gigante seamount is located. These are areas of high biological and mineral richness, real oasis hidden in the deep ocean, which are usually found kilometers from the surface and hundreds of miles from coastal areas.
Currently, there are eight known hydrothermal fields in the Portuguese sea around the Azores: “Lucky Strike” (the first to be discovered, in 1992), “Menez Gwen”, “Rainbow”, “Saldanha”, “Ewan”, “Bubbylon”, “Seapress” and “Moytirra”. The scientific studies carried out on them, in which scientists from IMAR and the Azores University have played a major role over the years, represent important contributions to the knowledge of these ecosystems and the mineral resources associated with them.
About the Blue Azores Program
With and estimated duration of three years, this partnership between Oceano Azul Foundation and Waitt Foundation has the goal of promoting, protecting and valuing the blue natural capital of the Azores archipelago in close collaboration with the Azores Regional Government and other entities. The Blue Azores Program involves many of the areas of action of the Oceano Azul Foundation: science, conservation, ecosystem economic evaluation, literacy and fisheries co-management.
About the Oceano Azul Foundation
Its origin results from the belief that in times of profound change, it is necessary to change behaviors which allow the coexistence of human development with ocean protection. Therefore, the Foundation was born in 2017, with the motivation to help Portugal move towards a more ocean-centered positioning, develop a blue generation and position the country as leader in ocean-related issues.
The Oceano Azul Foundation has a main areas of action: literacy, conservation and capacity building, under the motto “from the ocean’s point of view”.
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This piece was edited and posted onto SEVENSEAS Media by Giacomo Abrusci.