Limestone Habitats at Southern Hydrate Ridge
Beautiful soft corals inhabit the hard carbonate substrate of the 60 m tall Pinnacle structure west of the major seep sites at Southern Hydrate Ridge. This site, at a water depth of ~ 550 m, hosts numerous white and orange bacterial mats, marking sites of weak venting of methane-rich fluids. The almost pummice-like structure of the pinnacle provides ample places for animals to live – small shrimp are extremely abundant. The Pinnacle is likely the fossilized ‘throa’/plumbing system for a more ancient seep site that once inhabited this area.
July 17, 2013