Gulf of Mexico 2018 was a 23-day telepresence-enabled expedition to collect critical information and acquire data on priority exploration areas identified by the ocean management and scientific communities. The goal of the expedition was to use remotely operated vehicle dives in combination with seafloor mapping operations to increase our understanding of deep-sea ecosystems and collect scientific information to support future management decisions.
During the expedition, the team documented two new chemosynthetic communities during two dives, including a brine pool and extinct brine waterfall at Hidalgo Basin and gas seeps at Walker Ridge 488. This video provides an overview of cold seeps, including what they are, how they form, how we find them, and their importance as habitat for a unique form of life in the deep ocean.
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Video courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Gulf of Mexico 2018.