Project ZOMBIE: Bringing Dead Vents Back to Life

Abstract

The overarching goal of this project was to study seafloor hydrothermal processes along the Galapagos Spreading Centre. The project was designed around a multidisciplinary approach, combining the fields of geology, geophysics, biology, and oceanography to address a range of inter-related scientific questions related to occurrence, evolution, and ecological significance of high-temperature hydrothermal systems along the Galapagos Rift. Specific project goals included:

Evaluate the utility of SAS surveys as an effective tool for documenting/characterizing the seafloor environment (including geological and biological features), especially in regions of significant seafloor topography. Characterize the mineralogical, geochemical, and biological evolution of hydrothermal deposits at inactive vent fields and inactive deposits within active vent fields. Survey, explore, document, and sample previously unexplored vent fields. Document the benthic soundscape at hydrothermal vents and measure CTD and sound velocity (i.e. bulk compressibility) to inform the equation of state at relatively high temperatures and salinities. Refine the methodologies for integrating multi-resolution datasets to classify ecological and geological features on the seafloor and develop approaches for the use of these techniques for marine spatial planning and conservation.