Deep-Sea Exploration Begins: Scientists Launch Mission to Uncover Methane‘s Role in Argentine Sea Ecosystems
BUENOS AIRES – A groundbreaking expedition to the depths of the Argentine Sea commenced today, marking an unprecedented effort to understand the influence of methane on the region’s unique and largely unknown deep-sea ecosystems. The mission, led by a team of 25 scientists – 17 from Argentina and 11 from Exactas UBA - will utilize the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) SuBastian to explore areas up to 4,500 meters below the surface.
This research builds upon previous discoveries by the Argentine team, who first identified chemosynthetic ecosystems in the Argentine sea, garnering international recognition. The current expedition aims to comprehensively analyze how methane shapes the physical,chemical,and biological characteristics of these extreme environments. “The distribution and relevance of these communities in the South Atlantic is still poorly known,” explains Martín Bravo, a researcher at IGeBA (UBA-Conicet).
The expedition will involve at least 15 ROV dives, all of which will be broadcast live, allowing the public to witness the exploration firsthand. SuBastian will collect samples of water,sediment,rocks,and benthic fauna,providing direct observations of areas previously known only through indirect evidence. The mission will also leverage Falkor (too) instrumentation for acoustic mapping and environmental DNA sampling.
International deep-sea specialist Lisa Levin, a renowned ecologist and world leader in chemosynthetic ecosystems from the Scripps Institute of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego, is joining the Argentine team. The interdisciplinary research covers ecology, taxonomy of benthic invertebrates, zooplankton, marine chemistry, physical oceanography, geology, and geophysics.
To follow the live streams and learn more about the expedition, visit[linktostreamingplatform/projectwebsite-[linktostreamingplatform/projectwebsite-[linktostreamingplatform/projectwebsite-[linktostreamingplatform/projectwebsite-this details was not provided in the source text and would need to be added].
