Unravelling hidden processes at the Aurora seamount: connectivity and biogeography of hydrothermal vents in the deep Arctic ocean
Informations
- Funding country
Norway- Acronym
- -
- URL
- -
- Start date
- 1/1/2019
- End date
- 12/31/2023
- Budget
- 430,377 EUR
Fundings
| Name | Role | Start | End | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRINATEK - Independent projects - math, natural sciences and technology | Grant | - | - | 430,377 EUR |
Abstract
Arctic hydrothermal chimneys could be an important piece of the puzzle in understanding how different vent populations are connected, since they could provide a key pathway for the connectivity of animal populations between ocean basins. This project has participated in two cruises to the hydrothermal vents within the Gakkel Ridge, which lie below the ice in the Arctic Ocean at the impressive depth of 4000 m. We now have collected samples from the vents beneath the ice with the ROV Aurora. The fauna has been analysed and is now being compared with the database we have produced which shows the distribution of chemosynthesis based fauna from all over the world. We are finally ready to distinguish how the Arctic vent populations fit within the global biodiversity patterns by deciding how similar or unique the species are to other vent areas. Our findings will be changing the landscape of hydrothermal vent research.