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Seeps And Vents Antarctica (SAVAnt) Action Group
The Seeps and Vents Action Group started at XXX SCAR in St Petersburg.
The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) has been charged with developing management practices for Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs) in Antarctic waters. The VMEs identified as having a high priority by CCAMLR (Conservation Measure 22-06) are: Biological communities associated with seamounts, cold seeps and hydrothermal vents, Cold water coral and sponge communities.
Mapping of seamounts is a fairly straightforward exercise that can be accomplished using global data sets such as satellite gravity, for seamounts over a certain size and compilations of ship-based bathymetry. These activities are underway under the auspices of the International Bathymetric Chart of the Southern Ocean Project. Accurate location of cold seep and hydrothermal vent communities is more difficult and will require protocols using a range of ship-based techniques. However, existing geophysical data can be used to identify areas more likely to contain such features.
To assist CCAMLR, the SCAR Geoscience and Life Science SSGs have started an Action Group that aims to identify areas within the CCAMLR region likely to contain Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems around cold seeps and hydrothermal vents. The coordinator is Philip O'Brien of Geoscience Australia.
The Action Group aims to:
- Compile a guide for the identification of fluid escape features to assist in the detection of possible seep sites.
- Compile a guide for the identification of cold seep and hydrothermal vent organisms.
- Review seismic reflection data to detect possible areas of shallow and leaking gas.
- Review echo sounder data for evidences of possible gas flares from active vents.
- Review multibeam and sidescan data for evidence of fluid escape structures on the sea floor.
- Review biological data for evidence of organisms associated with cold seeps or hydrothermal vents.
- Provide locations of areas of possible fluid seepage and biological communities to CCAMLR for incorporation in a GIS.
Activities so far include contacting potential participants, particularly those involved in research into seeps and hydrothermal vents. A number of people already involved in programmes such as ChEss (Biogeography of Deep-water Chemosynthetic Ecosystems) have expressed interest. A pilot study reviewing echo sounder data for evidence of gas flares in the water column has also started.
The Action Group Coordinator's contact details are:
Dr Philip E O'Brien
Geoscience Australia
Email: phil.obrien.ant@gmail.com
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