030 – Seamounts with Ashley Rowden

We’ve been off-piste for a while now so we thought we’d jump straight back into the deep sea with a series of episodes on deep-sea habitats. We’re starting off strong with a huge episode on seamounts! We speak to a friend of the show, Ashley Rowden who’s an expert in all-things benthic and we find out why seamounts are just so cool. We also get a little distracted and reminisce about the ultimate offshore championship: sausage-fest.

We get to hear from the scientists on board the RRS Discovery who are currently on an expedition to discover the life that exists on the seamounts surrounding St Helena and the Ascension Islands. A couple of our friends on board also recall their ‘crossing the line’ experience, and how they’re finding working on board a research vessel.

We have huge news! You’ll be very excited to hear that we have released a new design for our merch, featuring our favourite parasite - the tongue-eating isopod, Cymothoa exigua! A perfect gift this holiday season for the whole family.

Check out our podcast merch here! Which now includes Alan’s beloved apron and a much anticipated new design...

Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or your own tales from the high seas on:

podcast@armatusoceanic.com

We’d love to actually play your voice so feel free to record a short audio note!

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Read the show notes and find out more about us at:

www.armatusoceanic.com

Glossary

Albatross - a very large white oceanic bird

Baikal - The world's deepest lake (1642 m deep), based in Siberia

Guyots - Flat-topped underwater mountains

Knoll - Less than 1000m underwater mountain

Manganese nodules - Potato-sized clumps of metals (mostly manganese and iron) found on the sea floor. These metals are used in the production of batteries

Orange roughy - (Hoplostethus atlanticus) A deep-sea fish which was famously historically overfished

Productivity - The rate of growth of a habitat, usually referring to biomass

Satellite altimeters - equipment which measures altitude or surface topography via satellite

Seamount - An underwater mountain which ascends more than 1000m

Sedimentation - The process of sediment sinking and then building up at the bottom of the water column

Seismic - Activity related to volcanoes or earthquakes

Links

Bottled deep-sea water helps with physical fatigue

Deep-sea mining is mentioned at COP27

A recent expedition to the Cocos islands in the Indian Ocean has revealed an array of deep-sea species, and previously undiscovered geological features.

The UK Government’s Blue Belt Programme has launched the DY159 expedition where scientists are exploring the deep ocean around St Helena and Ascension Island.

3000 tonnes of polymetallic nodules are taken from the deep by deep-sea mining company

Ashley’s research and recommended reading

Ashley’s paper on the sustainable management of seamount fisheries

Global seamounts project - an initiative that’s exploring seamounts

Hubbs’ 1959 iconic article on seamounts.

Clark et al (2013) article on future priorities for seamount research.

Dun & Forman (2011) orange roughy distribution

No doubt - Oi to the world

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Credits

Theme – Hadal Zone Express by Märvel

Logo image

Image courtesy of NOAA