Hydrocarbon Seeps
Natural oil and gas seeps are common in the Northern Gulf
of Mexico. The chemical enrichment produced by seeps support lush chemosynthetic
communities of tube worms, mussel, and other animals that thrive without
light at depths of about 2000 feet.
Gas hydrate is an ice-like substance that form under pressure
when gas is trapped in water crystals. World-wide, hydrates may offer an
energy supply for the future. At seeps, they are important players in the
chemosynthetic ecosystem. Most recently, gas hydrate in the Gulf was found
to support the so-called "Ice Worm."
Brine, a super-salty water, is a common by-product of energy
production. At natural seeps, brine sometimes escapes along with the oil
and gas. When brine flows out onto the seafloor, its density traps it in
pools and rivulets on the bottom.
The goal for this portion of the cruise is to complete
high-resolution laser line scan mosaics at the MMS
study sites GC234, GC233, GC185, and GB425. In addition, long-range
surveys will investigate suspected seep communities that have been detected
in geophysical data. |
Click on the photos
for a closer look!
Gas hydrate
An eel approaches methane-eating mussels at the edge of a brine pool. |
