Article
Oceanography
Astrid B. Leitner, Jennifer M. Durden, Craig R. Smith, Eric D. Klingberg, Jeffrey C. Drazen
Summary: Observations from three abyssal seamount summits in the equatorial Pacific challenge the idea of a food-limited habitat with low numbers of megafauna, particularly fishes. The discovery of over 100 synaphobranchid eels feeding on standard bait at one seamount suggests a potential abyssal 'seamount effect' that may be important in structuring abyssal communities. This finding highlights the significance of seamounts in deep-sea ecosystems.
DEEP-SEA RESEARCH PART I-OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH PAPERS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Savannah L. Goode, Ashley A. Rowden, David A. Bowden, Malcolm R. Clark, Fabrice Stephenson
Summary: Seamounts are common features of the deep seafloor that host a variety of mega-epibenthic fauna, and also support abundant fish stocks. Bottom trawl fisheries impact non-target benthic species on seamounts, making it important to understand environmental drivers affecting benthic communities for habitat mapping improvements and recovery potential assessments. Fine-scale community dynamics and community patch characteristics vary within and between seamounts, influencing spatial management approaches.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Amelia E. H. Bridges, David K. A. Barnes, James B. Bell, Rebecca E. Ross, Kerry L. Howell
Summary: This study characterized the benthic assemblage composition of seamounts and oceanic islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, finding distinct differences between temperate and tropical regions, with latitude and depth identified as key environmental drivers. Faunal assemblages are similar to those observed in the North Atlantic in terms of functional groups.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Julie Gevorgian, David T. Sandwell, Yao Yu, Seung-Sep Kim, Paul Wessel
Summary: Seamounts are isolated highlands in the seafloor with specific characteristics. The global distribution of seamounts can be mapped using the vertical gravity gradient (VGG) derived from satellite measurements. By updating and refining the global seamount catalog using the latest VGG grid, 19,325 new seamounts were identified. The use of an Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis revealed a linear relationship between the base radius and height of small seamounts, allowing for accurate height estimation using VGG.
EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tanja Stratmann, Erik Simon-Lledo, Teresa Maria Morganti, Anna de Kluijver, Andrey Vedenin, Autun Purser
Summary: Seamounts are underwater mountains that are considered as hotspots of marine biodiversity. The study assessed the habitats and community composition of megabenthos (large organisms living on the seafloor) at three seamounts in the central Arctic Ocean. It was found that the majority of the seafloor on these seamounts was covered with bare rock, sponge mats, and detrital debris. The megabenthos assemblages were dominated by sponges and the composition varied among the seamounts. Factors such as habitat types and biogenic factors played a major role in shaping the benthic communities in these high-Arctic seamounts.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Oceanography
Xingliang Jiang, Changming Dong, Yuxiang Ji, Chunsheng Wang, Yeqiang Shu, Lingxiao Liu, Jinlin Ji
Summary: The study demonstrates that seamounts significantly impact the hydrodynamic environment of the ocean, increasing flow complexity, enhancing vorticity and eddy activity. Various physical processes such as negative vorticity, density fronts, topographic Rossby waves, seamount-eddy interactions, and lee waves are observed around the three seamounts. These processes contribute to enhanced biological connectivity among seamounts.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Anabel von Jackowski, Maren Walter, Timo Spiegel, Pier Luigi Buttigieg, Massimiliano Molari
Summary: This study investigated the microbial communities in the water column and sediments of the ice-covered Arctic ridge system called the Langseth Ridge. The findings suggest that sponges on the seafloor play a significant role in pelagic-benthic coupling and act as ecosystem engineers.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Xun Guo, Tianyou Zhang, Min Jin, Runying Zeng
Summary: A novel Bacillus podophage Gxvl was isolated from deep-sea seamount sediments of the western Pacific Ocean, showing lytic activity with a relatively large burst size. Genome analysis revealed its close relationship with Bacillus phage phi29, belonging to the Salasvirus genus. The study enhances our understanding of phage diversity in deep-sea seamounts.
MARINE LIFE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Santiago Herrera, William W. W. Chadwick, Matthew G. G. Jackson, Jasper Konter, Luke McCartin, Nicole Pittoors, Emily Bushta, Susan G. Merle
Summary: Volcanic eruptions provide rare opportunities to observe the recolonization of areas covered by new lava flows, resetting the ecological succession clock to zero. This study examines the role of submarine volcanic eruptions as disturbance events and their impact on ecological succession in non-vent ecosystems, particularly on seamounts. The research focuses on the early stages of ecological succession in the summit caldera of the Vailulu'u submarine volcano in American Samoa.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Astrid B. Leitner, Jeffrey C. Drazen, Craig R. Smith
Summary: Seamounts in the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) have distinct communities compared to abyssal plains, with differences driven by habitat type and productivity changes. The limited source populations on seamounts suggest they may not be sufficient to recolonize abyssal plains post-mining disturbance.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Fisheries
Michael Maia Mincarone, Leandro Nole Eduardo, Fabio Di Dario, Thierry Fredou, Arnaud Bertrand, Flavia Lucena-Fredou
Summary: New data on the occurrence and distribution of rare deep-sea fishes in off north-eastern Brazil, including seamounts and oceanic islands of the Fernando de Noronha Ridge, have been reported. Occurrences of several rare fish species were reported for the first time or confirmed in the Brazilian Exclusive Economic Zone. Some species were also recorded for the first time in the western South Atlantic and the western Atlantic.
JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ilysa S. Iglesias, Jarrod A. Santora, Jerome Fiechter, John C. Field
Summary: Mesopelagic fishes play an important role in global carbon export and act as prey to a wide range of predator species. This study examines the significance of mesopelagic fishes as prey in the California Current Ecosystem, revealing their importance to economically valuable and protected species, as well as highlighting the need to incorporate them into food web models and global carbon budgets.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Les Watling, Peter J. Auster
Summary: The concept of vulnerable marine ecosystem (VME) is part of international efforts to minimize the impact of seafloor fisheries on the high seas, but the definition of VME is still under development; Indicator species for VME can be widely distributed on seamounts and may not always form dense clusters; A seamount ecosystem may span multiple seamounts in a biogeographic region, indicating a need to reassess the VME concept from a classical ecological perspective.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Yinan Deng, Qingjun Guo, Jiang Zhu, Gaowen He, Yong Yang, Jun Cao, Jiangbo Ren, Yufei Liu, Lord Famiyeh, Binbin Guo, Haifeng Wang, Jianlin Liao, Jianhou Zhou, Sihai Cheng, Bin Zhao, Xuexiao Jiang
Summary: Rare earth elements (REEs) are crucial resources for reconstructing paleomarine environmental conditions. This study reveals that the concentration of dissolved porewater REEs near seamounts is higher than that at abyssal plain, indicating significant benthic diffusion of REEs to the ocean. The findings suggest that seamounts may play a significant role in the budget of oceanic REEs.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jacob E. Allgeier, Brian C. Weeks, Katrina S. Munsterman, Nina Wale, Seth J. Wenger, Valeriano Parravicini, Nina M. D. Schiettekatte, Sebastien Villeger, Deron E. Burkepile
Summary: The study examines fish stoichiometry traits in coral reefs and finds that phylogeny plays a critical role in nutrient cycling, especially in the Caribbean region. In Polynesia, ecological factors have a greater influence on chemical trait variation. Regional differences in chemical traits can be explained by nutrient limitation associated with different geological contexts.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
David A. Clague, David W. Caress, Brian M. Dreyer, Lonny Lundsten, Jennifer B. Paduan, Ryan A. Portner, Ronald Spelz-Madero, Julie A. Bowles, Paterno R. Castillo, Rigoberto Guardado-France, Morgane Le Saout, Julie F. Martin, Miguel A. Santa Rosa-del Rio, Robert A. Zierenberg
GEOCHEMISTRY GEOPHYSICS GEOSYSTEMS
(2018)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Craig R. McClain, Clifton Nunnally, Mark C. Benfield
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2019)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Craig Robert Mcclain, Clifton Nunnally, River Dixon, Greg W. Rouse, Mark Benfield
Article
Environmental Sciences
Severine Martini, Darrin T. Schultz, Lonny Lundsten, Steven H. D. Haddock
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2020)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Leo Chan Gaskins, Craig R. McClain
Summary: Allowing for invisible name changes is crucial for the dignity of trans researchers, as it prevents their publication record from outing them without consent. A centralized name change request through ORCID iD would streamline the process and alleviate the burden of changing each publication individually.
Article
Ecology
Craig R. McClain
Summary: The study found that rarity is common among deep-sea bivalves in the Atlantic Ocean, with a bimodal pattern of very common and very rare species. The drivers of rarity include taxonomic superfamilies, body size, energy availability, temperature, depth, and latitude, which can predict the geographic range, population size, and habitat specificity of species. These findings have implications for deep-sea conservation efforts, particularly as human threats to the environment increase.
Review
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Craig R. McClain, S. River Bryant, Granger Hanks, Marshall W. Bowles
Summary: The search for extraterrestrial life is based on the study of life persisting in extreme conditions on Earth, and understanding the adaptability of life on Earth suggests that the possibility of extraterrestrial life is greater than previously thought.
Article
Biology
S. River D. Bryant, Craig R. McClain
Summary: Climate change impacts the functional diversity and functional niches of bivalve communities in the deep Atlantic Ocean, particularly in energy-limited communities. Changes in energy availability may lead to the expansion of functional space and vulnerability to shifts in food availability.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Craig R. Mcclain, Corie M. Boolukos, S. River D. Bryant, Granger Hanks
Summary: Wood in the deep sea serves as an important food source, creating specialized and diverse communities. The reliance on terrestrial sources means that human impacts on land can affect the biodiversity in the deep oceans.
Article
Ecology
Craig R. Mcclain, S. River D. Bryant, Granger Hanks, Jarrett Byrnes
Summary: This study examines six mechanisms underlying species-energy relationships in an experimental wood fall system. The results show that the more individuals hypothesis is supported, but niche dynamics and competition also play important roles. In addition, not only the total energy but also the accessibility of that energy determine community structure differences.
Article
Biology
S. River D. Bryant, Craig R. McClain
Summary: This study examines the impact of environmental energy on the body-size distribution of deep-sea bivalve communities. It demonstrates that body-size distribution is influenced by multiple energetic constraints. With increasing temperature and decreasing carbon and oxygen availability, invertebrate body size may undergo radical shifts that could impact ecosystem function.
Article
Engineering, Ocean
Kakani Katija, Brian Schlining, Lonny Lundsten, Kevin Barnard, Giovanna Sainz, Oceane Boulais, Benjamin Woodward, Katy Croff Bell
Summary: Ocean-going platforms are generating a vast amount of visual data, which exceeds researchers' abilities to process. Although recent advances in AI allow for fast and sophisticated analysis, the lack of dataset standardization and tools in oceanography has hindered progress. To address this issue, the establishment of FathomNet aims to utilize curated data for efficient and responsible marine stewardship, accelerating the development of automated algorithms for underwater visual data analysis.
MARINE TECHNOLOGY SOCIETY JOURNAL
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Miquel Canals, Christopher K. Pham, Melanie Bergmann, Lars Gutow, Georg Hanke, Erik van Sebille, Michela Angiolillo, Lene Buhl-Mortensen, Alessando Cau, Christos Ioakeimidis, Ulrike Kammann, Lonny Lundsten, George Papatheodorou, Autun Purser, Anna Sanchez-Vidal, Marcus Schulz, Matteo Vinci, Sanae Chiba, Francois Galgani, Daniel Langenkamper, Tiia Moller, Tim W. Nattkemper, Marta Ruiz, Sanna Suikkanen, Lucy Woodall, Elias Fakiris, Maria Eugenia Molina Jack, Alessandra Giorgetti
Summary: The seafloor, covering 70% of the Earth's surface, is a major sink for marine litter. However, due to its location in the deep sea, it is the least investigated fraction of marine litter. Monitoring frameworks are still being established to address the estimation of seafloor macrolitter.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Paleontology
Mary McGann, Lonny Lundsten
Article
Environmental Sciences
Magdalena N. Georgieva, Charles K. Paull, Crispin T. S. Little, Mary McGann, Diana Sahy, Daniel Condon, Lonny Lundsten, Jack Pewsey, David W. Caress, Robert C. Vnjenhoek
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2019)