A recent deep sea expedition has revealed diverse ecosystems in the Bremer Canyon Marine Park off the coast of southwest Australia. Bremer Canyon Marine Park is already known as a calving area for whales, as well as foraging areas for sea lions, albatrosses and great white sharks. The researchers from University of Western Australia (UWA) used a deep-sea remotely operated vehicle named SuBastian, supplied by the philanthropic Schmidt Ocean Institute’s (SOI). The vehicle can reach a depth of 4,500 meters (14,760 feet).
The researchers collected deep-sea corals, associated fauna, seawater, and geological samples from the deep-sea depths (~4,000 meters) to the continental shelf (~200 meters). Among their remarkable discoveries were a huge variety of deep-sea corals that harbored a range of organisms and formed numerous mini-ecosystems in the vertical cliffs and ridges of in the Bremer Canyon Marine Park.
Their discoveries will be added to the biological and geological database and go a long way in protecting and preserving the vast organisms and mini-ecosystems in the Bremer Canyon Marine Park.
The Bremer Canyon Marine Park faces the Southern Ocean, and holds a trove of information about past and current climate change. The Southern Ocean completely encircles Antarctica, and it is the main driver of the global climate engine because it regulates the supply of heat and nutrient-rich waters to the major oceans.
The researchers have put their deep-sea discoveries in high-definition 4K video. You can view this below.
