Oceana Ranger Expedition 2012: Exploring Ocean Depths
The 2012 Ranger expedition will document the deep areas of the Atlantic and Mediterranean. Our underwater robot (ROV) will take video footage and high resolution photographs of the underwater flora, fauna and habitats. The on board team will make initial recordings and in the next few months Oceana scientists will identify and describe recorded species and habitats, which will be used to prepare protection and conservation proposals.
This year’s expedition will focus on seamounts with peaks that are so deep they cannot be explored by divers. Seco de los Olivos – one of these seamounts – is an area that Oceana is studying as part of the LIFE+ INDEMARES Project.
Underwater mountains attract numerous species and because of the range of heights and soil types, they host many different biological communities. Oceana studies these areas using transects (moving the ROV along a path), a method that is more complicated than simply dropping the ROV down and pulling it straight back up, but which provides a more comprehensive view of the area.
