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Seamounts generate efficient active transport loops to nourish the twilight ecosystem
Xinyang Wang1,2,3, Hongliang Li1,2, Jingjing Zhang1,2
1Key Laboratory of Marine Ecosystem Dynamics, Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Hangzhou, China.
Science Advances
|June 26, 2024
Summary
Seamounts create nutrient-rich waters by altering ocean currents, supporting abundant life. This fixed topographic feature establishes a steady transport loop, forming unique ecological oases in the deep ocean.
Area of Science:
- Marine Biology
- Oceanography
- Ecology
Background:
- Seamounts act as vital ecological oases in oligotrophic oceans, supporting fisheries and epibenthic megafauna.
- The mechanisms forming these seamount-associated oases remain poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the formation mechanisms of seamount ecological oases.
- To understand how seamounts influence nutrient supply and biomass transport in the ocean.
Main Methods:
- Conducted interdisciplinary in situ observations on a shallow seamount in an oligotrophic ocean environment.
Main Results:
- Seamount topography generates lee waves, enhancing nutrient supply to the euphotic layer.
- Increased phytoplankton biomass fuels zooplankton grazing and diurnal vertical migration, transporting biomass to the aphotic layer.
- Seamounts establish a fixed, efficient active transport loop connecting euphotic and aphotic zones.
Conclusions:
- Seamounts create "stereoscopic oases" by actively transporting nutrients and biomass between oceanic layers.
- This process sustains rich benthic ecosystems, highlighting the ecological significance of seamount topography.
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