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June 20, 2010

Seco de los Olivos. Rhodoliths

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© OCEANA / Thierry Lannoy

 

LIFE+ INDEMARESAlthough the wind continues to blow and seas are rough, the weather is better than yesterday. The forecast is good. However, it takes us longer to get to the seamount and submerge the ROV. We did three dives today, including the spot where we took samples the day before yesterday. It’s difficult to manoeuvre the robot and the currents aren’t helping. We have to form a chain to roll up and unroll the umbilical cord again and again, the cable that transfers the images to the screens.

The seabeds we see on the screens aren’t the ones we were expecting. We see lobsters, corals, fish… old and new trawling marks. And there’s another surprise when we look up: four dolphins and a group of Audouin’s gulls, a bird that is in danger of extinction.

Again, another dredge sample, the sieve and the microscope. This time we identify many rhodoliths along with more organic debris.