Is the deepest hydrothermal ecosystem in the world declining because of a chimney?

This week, the Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom published an article on the results of research conducted by Marie-Claire Fabri, researcher at IFREMER La Seyne-sur-mer and an expert on deep-sea ecosystems.

Conducted in 2007 aboard the research vessel Pourquoi pas?, the Serpentine cruise visited the deepest known hydrothermal site, Ashadze, located at 4080 m depth on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (N12°58). However, finally able to visit Ashadze, scientists discovered — much to their surprise — that the ecosystem is in decline... A sudden increase in fluid emissions from one of the hydrothermal chimneys appears to be the cause.

See the following press release:

Ashadze (1.19 MB)

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