We use cookies to improve your experience, some are essential for the operation of this site.

Green turtle swimming over encrusted lava on a Galápagos seamount.

Green turtle swimming over encrusted lava on a Galápagos seamount.
Green turtle swimming over encrusted lava on a Galápagos seamount.
Green turtle swimming over encrusted lava on a Galápagos seamount.
Green turtle swimming over encrusted lava on a Galápagos seamount.
Comments (0)
290036
WHOI MISO Facility
Green turtle swimming over encrusted lava on a Galápagos seamount.
Still Image
08/14/2015
Nadir_D372_08_14_2015 190837.jpg
2018 Wall Calendar caption:
PROTECTED SEASCAPES.
A green turtle glides between outcrops of solidified lava encrusted with sponges, coralline algae, and branching gorgonian fans on an undersea volcano in the Galápagos Islands. In 2015, an expedition led by WHOI geologist Adam Soule used an autonomous underwater vehicle and shipboard multibeam sonar on the research vessel Alucia to survey and map more than 70 volcanic seamounts, and Alucia's submarines to collect rock and biological samples. The mapped areas were within the Galápagos Marine Reserve, a protected area that is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Image Of the Day caption:
A green turtle makes its way through the diverse reef community on a seamount in the Galápagos archipelago. In 2015, an expedition led by WHOI geologist Adam Soule conducted acoustic mapping with the research vessel Alucia and the autonomous vehicle REMUS 600 to survey over 70 volcanic seamounts, or undersea mountains. This mapping revealed dozens of previously unknown seamounts, which are home to many unique species. The mapped areas were included in the new Galápagos Marine Reserve and will hopefully facilitate further study of the volcanic processes and biodiversity of the Galápagos platform.
Caption from Oceanus magazine, Vol. 52, No. 1, pg. 8:
The volcanic seafloor offers habitat for a rich and diverse community of fauna. A green turtle glides amid outcrops of a solidified lava flow encrusted with sponges, coralline algae, and branching gorgonian fans.
Photo by WHOI Multidisciplinary Instrumentation in Support of Oceanography Facility
© Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Labels
This item includes these files
Image
Image
Collections