Research Symposium

BIO

I am a second-year undergraduate student majoring in biology from Pembroke Pines, Florida. I am currently working under Dr. Amy Baco-Taylor in the Earth, Oceans, and Atmospheric Sciences Department studying seamount habitats. My academic and professional interest is primarily in marine biology and conservation. In my free time, I enjoy reading, drawing, and binging shows.

Habitat Characterization of Seamounts in the Central and Western Pacific

Abstract

Despite advances in technology, the deep sea is still largely under-characterized and unexplored. Habitat characterization of seamounts in the Central and Western Pacific (CWP) is essential as baseline information of the habitats can provide insight into how substrate may influence benthic megafauna composition on the seafloor. The remotely operated vehicle (ROV) SuBastian conducted quantitative replicate survey transects at 1500m on 7 different seamounts within the Mid-Pacific Mountains, Necker Ridge, and Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The video footage was converted to still images at 30-second intervals, and 15 randomly generated points were overlaid on each image. Photos were annotated within the BIIGLE software for features such as rugosity, substrate size, and substrate composition. Preliminary results indicate that a majority of sites are comprised of hardpan and basalt/manganese crusts. While outcrop was rare across the study, the Mid-Pacific Mountain seamounts had more than any other sites. Future results can be used to investigate the correlation between substrate and biodiversity, which may be at risk due to potential deep-sea mining activities.

Keywords: Oceanography, Environmental Science, Seamounts