“And at depth, we found fields of sponges and coral, habitats that are considered vulnerable and in need of protection,” Mechó said.
The expedition took place from February 24 to April 4 with an international team of 25 scientists from 14 organizations in five countries (Chile, United States, Italy, Spain, Netherlands), including Rapa Nui’s first marine biologist, Emilia Ra’a Palma Tuki, a graduate of Universidad Católica del Norte in Chile. The Rapa Nui Marine Council, or Koro Nui o te Vaikava, supported this expedition by providing primary permits to work in the area, and collaborated by providing Koro Nui observers and local shipping experts to bring their perspectives as members of the Rapa Nui community to this expedition.
The information collected during this research expedition will provide a scientific basis to inform the management of existing and potentially expanded marine protected areas, especially around the island of Rapa Nui.
Ariadna Mecho, peneliti of Barcelona Supercomputing Center – Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (B
One of the most unexplored areas on the planet
Funded by the Schmidt Ocean Institute, the cruise is devoted to studying the ecosystem in one of the world’s most unexplored areas, the underwater mountains and oceanic islands of the Salas y Gómez Ridge, which is a 2,900-kilometer chain of undersea mountains consisting of more than of 200 seamounts from off the coast of Chile to Rapa Nui, otherwise known as Easter Island (Easter Island).
The ridge is one of the most unique and diverse seascapes in the world, with very high levels of endemism, important habitat for benthic organisms, important migration corridors for highly mobile species, and the presence of more than 80 threatened or endangered species. extinct.
In addition, the Salas y Gómez Ridge has a rich cultural and maritime heritage with deep ties to the island’s indigenous and mainland communities and other countries. These remote, little-explored regions likely harbor pristine, unexploited habitats with abundant biodiversity that will require international cooperation to protect them before they are lost.
Kandidat spesias mahlak lauit baru temuan tim Ariadna Mecho.Modeling the ocean with a supercomputer
The role of the BSC and supercomputers in this campaign is to provide climate modeling data through various scenarios to determine the distribution of key species in the area. This will help us understand how these species will be impacted by future changes, depending on each scenario.
“But first, we need to better understand the biodiversity and connectivity of the region to know which key species are found there and on which mountains exactly, as well as potential faunal breaks (where communities change or stop being connected to each other). Basically , it’s a unique exploration of places that are almost entirely unexplored,” Mecho said.
The aim is to provide essential information to support the designation of the Salas y Gomez Ridge as an ecologically and biologically significant marine area (EBSA) by the Convention on Biological Diversity and an ecological and socio-economic ‘priority area’ for international protection, by the High Seas Treaty (2023) .
This voyage is closely related to the previous campaign carried out between January and February 2024 and is focused on studying the junction between the Salas y Gomez and Nazca Ridge, and the Desventuradas Islands. During 2 voyages, more than 100 new species were discovered at Salas y Gomez and Nazca Ridge (SyGR), as well as coral and sponge gardens. This will emphasize the need for a blue corridor along the Salas y Gómez and Nazca Ridges, which would create one of the world’s first and largest high seas marine conservation areas.
2024-04-14 20:19:05
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