August 17, 2009
Chipiona (Cádiz). Second day of investigating the sea bottom of Chipiona. Monday, August 17, 2009
Scorching sun, calm in the morning and force 3 winds in the afternoon.
Today, besides submerging the divers in the area where we found a coral forest yesterday at a point in the southern half of the area to be investigated, we took 3 samples of muddy sea bottom with a small dredger we carry on board. Some species of worm were found amid that mud, very rich in nutrients.
The divers have documented the richness of coral and sea fans at this point. They are quite spectacular images. These animals are normally found at a greater depth, but the water column holds a lot of suspended organic matter. Therefore, the light that reaches the bottom is less, thus enabling these species to develop.