Researchers exploring the waters off the coast of Papua New Guinea were amazed to find a type of hydrothermal field that has never been seen before.
The scientists had an inkling there might be some hydrothermal activity in this region but, despite several research trips in the same area, they only spotted the field when they send an underwater robot – the ROV Kiel 6000 – down to 1,300 metres on a seamount near the island of Lihir.
“It was a real surprise, especially for those of us who had worked in this area multiple times,” says Dr. Philipp Brandl, a marine geologist at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel who was chief scientist on the expedition.
The type of hydrothermal field they discovered a combination that has never been documented before: hot plumes of fluids gushing up from the seafloor while methane and other hydrocarbons flow out from the sediments.
- Deep-sea scientists just found an ancient and exceptional thing at the bottom of the Arctic Ocean
- A deep-sea robot went to one of the darkest places on Earth – what it found was staggering
“We essentially have a hot vent bubbling right next to a cool gas seep – a combination that has never been described before,” says Dr. Philipp Brandl, a marine geologist at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel. “No one really expected to find a hydrothermal field here, let alone one that is so exceptional.”
Hydrothermal vents and methane seeps are usually found in different parts of the seabed. The researchers believe that these distinct types of hydrothermal activity occur so close together because of the volcanic seamount they are found on. Their discovery has been published in Scientific Reports.
The research team and local observer Stanis Konabe from the University of Papua New Guinea named the site 'Karambusel' after the many mussels that can be found here ('Karambusel' means mussel in Tok Pisin – one of the languages spoken in Papua New Guinea).
- Deep-sea submersible films thousands of bizarre red animals 1,500m deep off coast of Argentina
- Peculiar deep-sea creature with huge eyes discovered 3,628m down off Californian coast
The thriving ecosystem was full of life. As well as the many mussels, there were tube worms, shrimp and sea cucumbers all over the rocks. “In places, you couldn't see a single patch of rock because everything is so densely populated,” says Brandl who wants to return to the site again to study these species in more detail. He suspects some of them are new to science.
They warn that this special site could be threatened by the waste products produced by mining – Lihir is home to the Ladolam gold mine – or seafloor mining. “We have discovered an unexpected treasure trove of biodiversity in the Karambusel field that needs to be protected before economic interests destroy it,” says Brandl.
Top image: Measuring the temperature on the seafloor: In the newly discovered hydrothermal field, hot liquid and cold gas bubble up from the sediment just a few centimeters apart. Credit: ROV Kiel 6000 / GEOMAR
