ERC grantee to analyse corals in Atlantic Ocean
An international team of researchers led by a European Research Council grantee have begun their research adventure in the Canary Islands.
Dr Laura Robinson arrived on the island of Tenerife on 13 October with the scientists due to set sail on their British research vessel to explore the deep-sea corals of the Equatorial Atlantic Ocean. The ‘James Cook’ is equipped with the ISIS remotely-operated vehicle (ROV), a boat which will allow them to study the past and present ocean chemistry and assess its impact on fragile deep-sea ecosystems. The cruise will reach its final destination, Trinidad, at the end of November 2013. The crew will collect and analyse samples of corals, seawaters and sediments throughout voyage on the Atlantic Ocean.
Speaking in Southampton ahead of the start of her voyage Robinson commented: “My goal is to understand the dynamics and connections between the deep ocean and the climate in the past, and how these changes have impacted fragile marine ecosystems. For instance, many species of deep-sea corals have skeletons which are susceptible to degradation by ocean acidification.
“Previous discoveries have taught scientists to expect the unexpected. Marine research certainly holds clues to determine the cause of local extinction and repopulation events. During our cruise, we will explore the impact of temperature, salinity and nutrient supply on these corals and we hope to provide new insights into deep-sea oceanography including the processes involved in abrupt climate change, past and present,” Robinson added.
The team will analyse both modern and fossil corals in order to better understand their habitats, ecology and chemistry and fill the gaps in our knowledge of oceanic history.
