1. Wochenbericht M122

FS METEOR Expedition M122 ANNA (Walvis Bay, 30.12.2015 – Walvis Bay, 31.01.2016

Forschungsschiff METEOR Reise Nr. 61 (2004) - Nordost-Atlantik

R/V METEOR Cruise No. 61 was divided into three different legs, which all focused on the NEAtlantic to the west of Ireland from the Porcupine Seabight towards the Rockall Bank. Legs 1 and 3 concentrated on geo-biological studies on the carbonate mounds in this region, which are covered by a unique cold water coral fauna. Leg 2 dealt with seismic investigations in order to investigate the extension processes that led to the development of the Porcupine rift basin. The foci of the individual legs were on the following themes. M61-1 was a multidisciplinary cruise addressing biological, paleo-geological and hydrographical scientific objectives in the carbonate mound provinces west of Ireland in the eastern Porcupine Seabight and on the Rockall Bank. The cruise started in Lisbon (Portugal) and ended in Cork (Ireland). M61-1 activities were embedded within the ESF-DFG MOUNDFORCE project of the EUROMARGINS Programme. Together with the succeeding M61-3 cruise, these Meteor activities document Germany´s strong scientific and logistic support for the success of this challenging programme. Investigations are also designed as a preparatory cruise for the EUproject HERMES (Hotspot Ecosystem Research on the Margins of European Seas; start April 2005). All institutions participating in M61-1 are partners in HERMES Work package 2 "Coral Reef and Carbonate Mound Systems". M 61-2 was directed at researching the earth's crust in the vicinity of the Porcupine rift basin. During this leg, seismic research has been undertaken in the Porcupine Basin west of Ireland, an area that represents a natural laboratory for the investigation of extensional processes. Firstly, both sides of a rift basin occurring in close proximity to each other could have been studied here, allowing questions about the symmetry of extension to be addressed by several east-west profiles parallel to the direction of extension. Secondly, the amount of extension increases from north to south, so a series of east-west cross sections on different latitudes has provided information on crustal structure during variable extension. The spatial changes between these sections also represent the temporal development of the rift through continued extension. In order to achieve these research goals, a series of east-west oriented wide angle reflection profiles in the Porcupine Basin has been acquired. These profiles aid in the explanation of extensional processes and their development through continued extension. They also address insufficiently explained questions about the initiation of large scale magmatism and intrusion, the onset of mantle serpentinisation and the development of detachment faults. M61-3 During this leg, the only recently discovered 'carbonate mounds' on the NWEuropean continental margin have been investigated, which represent unique geo- and ecosystems for European waters. The broad scientific interest that is directed at these mounds is reflected in three EU-projects, which until recently almost exclusively concentrated their efforts on the mounds, as well as the currently operating ESF-EUROMARGINS project MOUNDFORCE M 61-3 focused on the use of a 'Remotely Operated Vehicle' (ROV) for the investigation of the carbonate mounds. The primary tasks of Bremen's QUEST ROV were a detailed characterization of individual mound structures, selective sample collection and the retrieval of sensor systems placed at the seafloor one year before. These ROV tasks have been supplemented by hydro-acoustic measurements and conventional sediment sampling in order to work - in close collaboration with M61-1 - on the main research focuses of the MOUNDFORCE project: (a) analysis of the environmental factors that drive the development of the 'carbonate mounds', (b) surveying the benthic communities in dependence of changing environmental factors and (c) investigations to the stabilization and lithification of the mound sediments

Nordost-Atlantik = Northeast Atlantic : Forschungsschiff Meteor, Reise Nr. M61 ; 19.04.2004 - 21.06.2004

Abschnitte, die sich in erster Linie auf das Seegebiet westlich von Irland von der Porcupine Seabight bis zur Rockall Bank konzentrieren. Im Mittelpunkt des ersten und des dritten Abschnittes stehen dabei geo-biologische Untersuchungen an den carbonate mounds“ in diesem Gebiet, die von einer einzigartigen Tiefwasserkorallenfauna bewachsen sind. Der zweite Abschnitt befasst sich mit seismischen Untersuchungen zu den Extensionsprozessen, die zur Entstehung des Porcupine Riftbeckens geführt haben.METEOR Cruise No. 61 is divided into three different legs, which focus on the NE-Atlantic to the west of Ireland from the Porcupine Seabight towards the Rockall Bank. Legs 1 and 3 focus on geo-biological studies on the carbonate mounds in this region, which are covered by a unique cold water coral fauna. Leg 2 deals with seismic investigations in order to investigate the extension processes that led to the development of the Porcupine rift basin

Hydrothermalism and deepwater-ecosystems in the Atlantic : research vessel Maria S. Merian, cruise No. MSM06, 18. 09. 2007 – 20. 12. 2007

FS MARIA S. MERIAN Expedition MSM06 umfasst drei Fahrtabschnitte, die zum Ziel haben den Hydrothermalismus sowie Tiefwasser-Ökosysteme im Atlantik zu untersuchen. Der erste Fahrtabschnitt konzentriert sich auf die Untersuchung von Kaltwasserkorallen-Ökosystemen im Golf von Cádiz. Das Hauptziel ist die Identifizierung der für die Korallenverteilung verantwortlichen Kontrollfaktoren. Zudem soll untersucht werden, wie sich die Korallenökosysteme in der Vergangenheit unter sich verändernden Umweltbedingungen entwickelt haben. Der zweite Fahrtabschnitt führt zum Logatchev-Hydrothermalfeld am Mittelatlantischen Rücken im westlichen N-Atlantik. Es ist geplant eine örtlich fokussierte Studie durchzuführen, um die Ursachen für zeitliche und örtliche Unterschiede in der Zusammensetzung von hydrothermalen Fluiden sowie deren Auswirkungen auf Vent-Lebensgemeinschaften zu erforschen. Fahrtabschnitt 3 führt zu einem weiter östlich, direkt südlich des Äquators, gelegenen Bereich des Mittelatlantischen Rückens. Hier soll der Einfluss großmaßstäblicher magmatischer und tektonischer Prozesse an Hydrothermalsystemen in vier verschiedenen Vent-Feldern untersucht werden. Um die genannten Detail-Untersuchungen in den einzelnen Untersuchungsgebieten durchführen zu können, ist v.a. der Einsatz eines ferngesteuerten Tauchroboters (ROV) auf allen 3 Fahrtabschnitten von besonderer Bedeutung. Dies unterstreicht, wie neue Technologien, wissenschaftliche Arbeiten zu einem bis dato unerreichten Niveau der Detailgenauigkeit verhelfen.RV MARIA S. MERIAN cruise MSM06 comprises three legs which aim to investigate hydrothermalism and deep-sea ecosystems in the Atlantic Ocean (Fig. 1). The first leg concentrates on cold-water coral ecosystems in the Gulf of Cadiz where these ecosystems seem to be related to mud volcanoes. The major aim of this leg is to detect the main forcing factors driving the distribution of the corals and to investigate how these ecosystems developed under changing environmental conditions in the past. Leg 2 will bring the RV MARIA S. MERIAN to the Logatchev hydrothermal field at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the western North Atlantic, where a locally focused study is planned to explore the causes for temporal and spatial compositional differences of hydrothermal fluids and their effect on the vent communities in this vent field. Leg 3 will focus on another section of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge further to the east and just south of the equator. There several topics related to the influences of largescale magmatic and tectonic processes on hydrothermal systems will be investigated in four distinct vent fields. To achieve the ambiguous set-out goals, especially the very detailed investigation of sea floor settings inevitable to reach these goals, all three legs will employ a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) as the main scientific instrument. This underlines how new technologies enable scientific work on a hitherto unmatched level of detail

Environmental changes and growth history of a cold-water carbonate mound (Propeller Mound, Porcupine Seabight)

On- and off-mound sediment cores from Propeller Mound (Hovland Mound province, Porcupine Seabight) were analysed to understand better the evolution of a carbonate mound. The evaluation of benthic foraminiferal assemblages from the off-mound position helps to determine the changes of the environmental controls on Propeller Mound in glacial and interglacial times. Two different assemblages describe the Holocene and Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 2 and late MIS 3 (∼31 kyr BP). The different assemblages are related to changes in oceanographic conditions, surface productivity and the waxing and waning of the British Irish Ice Sheet (BIIS) during the last glacial stages. The interglacial assemblage is related to a higher supply of organic material and stronger current intensities in water depth of recent coral growth. During the last glaciation the benthic faunas showed high abundances of cassidulinid species, implying cold bottom waters and a reduced availability of organic matter. High sedimentation rates and the domination of Elphidium excavatum point to shelf erosion related to sea-level lowering (∼50 m) and the progradation of the BIIS onto the shelf. A different assemblage described for the on-mound core is dominated by Discanomalina coronata, Gavelinopsis translucens, Planulina ariminensis, Cibicides lobatulus and to a lower degree by Hyrrokkin sarcophaga. These species are only found or show significantly higher relative abundances in on-mound samples and their maximum contribution in the lower part of the record indicates a higher coral growth density on Propeller Mound in an earlier period. They are less abundant during the Holocene, however. This dataset portrays the boundary conditions of the habitable range for the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa, which dominates the deep-water reefal ecosystem on the upper flanks of Propeller Mound. The growth of this ecosystem occurs during interglacial and interstadial periods, whereas a retreat of corals is documented in the absence of glacial sediments on-mound. Glacial conditions with cold intermediate waters, a weak current regime and high sedimentation rates provide an unfavourable environmental setting for Lophelia corals to grow. A Late Pleistocene decrease is observed in the mound growth for Propeller Mound, which might face its complete burial in the future, as it already happened to the buried mounds of the Magellan Mound province further north

Cold-water coral mounds in the southern Alboran Sea (western Mediterranean Sea): Internal waves as an important driver for mound formation since the last deglaciation

Cold-water corals (CWCs) are widely distributed in the entire Alboran Sea (western Mediterranean Sea), but only along the Moroccan margin they have formed numerous coral mounds, which are constrained to the West and the East Melilla CWC mound provinces (WMCP and EMCP). While information already exists about the most recent development of the coral mounds in the EMCP, the temporal evolution of the mounds in the WMCP was unknown up to the present. In this study, we present for the first time CWC ages obtained from four sediment cores collected from different mounds of the WMCP, which allowed to decipher their development since the last deglaciation. Our results revealed two pronounced periods of coral mound formation. The average mound aggradation rates were of 75–176 cm kyr−1 during the Bølling-Allerød interstadial and the Early Holocene, only temporarily interrupted during the Younger Dryas, when aggradation rates decreased to <45 cm kyr−1. Since the Mid Holocene, mound formation significantly slowed-down and finally stagnated until today. No living CWCs thrive at present on the mounds and some mounds became even buried. The observed temporal pattern in mound formation coincides with distinct palaeoceanographic changes that significantly influenced the local environment. Within the Alboran Sea, enhanced surface ocean productivity and seabed hydrodynamics prevailed during the Bølling-Allerød and the Early Holocene. Only with the onset of the Mid Holocene, the area turned into an oligotrophic setting. The strong hydrodynamics during the mound formation periods are most likely caused by internal waves that developed along the water mass interface between the Modified Atlantic Water and the Levantine Intermediate Water. In analogue to observations from modern CWC settings, we assume that internal waves created turbulent hydrodynamic conditions that increased the lateral delivery of particulate material, promoting the availability of food for the sessile CWCs. Overall, our data point to the dominant role of the water column structure in controlling the proliferation of CWCs and hence the development of coral mounds in the southern Alboran Sea

Northeast Atlantic 2004 – Cruise No. M61, April 19 – June 6, 2004 – Lisbon (Portugal) – Ponta Delgada (Azores)

R/V METEOR Cruise No. 61 was divided into three different legs, which all focused on the NEAtlantic to the west of Ireland from the Porcupine Seabight towards the Rockall Bank. Legs 1 and 3 concentrated on geo-biological studies on the carbonate mounds in this region, which are covered by a unique cold water coral fauna. Leg 2 dealt with seismic investigations in order to investigate the extension processes that led to the development of the Porcupine rift basin. The foci of the individual legs were on the following themes. M61-1 was a multidisciplinary cruise addressing biological, paleo-geological and hydrographical scientific objectives in the carbonate mound provinces west of Ireland in the eastern Porcupine Seabight and on the Rockall Bank. The cruise started in Lisbon (Portugal) and ended in Cork (Ireland). M61-1 activities were embedded within the ESF-DFG MOUNDFORCE project of the EUROMARGINS Programme. Together with the succeeding M61-3 cruise, these Meteor activities document Germany´s strong scientific and logistic support for the success of this challenging programme. Investigations are also designed as a preparatory cruise for the EUproject HERMES (Hotspot Ecosystem Research on the Margins of European Seas; start April 2005). All institutions participating in M61-1 are partners in HERMES Work package 2 "Coral Reef and Carbonate Mound Systems". M 61-2 was directed at researching the earth's crust in the vicinity of the Porcupine rift basin. During this leg, seismic research has been undertaken in the Porcupine Basin west of Ireland, an area that represents a natural laboratory for the investigation of extensional processes. Firstly, both sides of a rift basin occurring in close proximity to each other could have been studied here, allowing questions about the symmetry of extension to be addressed by several east-west profiles parallel to the direction of extension. Secondly, the amount of extension increases from north to south, so a series of east-west cross sections on different latitudes has provided information on crustal structure during variable extension. The spatial changes between these sections also represent the temporal development of the rift through continued extension. In order to achieve these research goals, a series of east-west oriented wide angle reflection profiles in the Porcupine Basin has been acquired. These profiles aid in the explanation of extensional processes and their development through continued extension. They also address insufficiently explained questions about the initiation of large scale magmatism and intrusion, the onset of mantle serpentinisation and the development of detachment faults. M61-3 During this leg, the only recently discovered 'carbonate mounds' on the NWEuropean continental margin have been investigated, which represent unique geo- and ecosystems for European waters. The broad scientific interest that is directed at these mounds is reflected in three EU-projects, which until recently almost exclusively concentrated their efforts on the mounds, as well as the currently operating ESF-EUROMARGINS project MOUNDFORCE M 61-3 focused on the use of a 'Remotely Operated Vehicle' (ROV) for the investigation of the carbonate mounds. The primary tasks of Bremen's QUEST ROV were a detailed characterization of individual mound structures, selective sample collection and the retrieval of sensor systems placed at the seafloor one year before. These ROV tasks have been supplemented by hydro-acoustic measurements and conventional sediment sampling in order to work - in close collaboration with M61-1 - on the main research focuses of the MOUNDFORCE project: (a) analysis of the environmental factors that drive the development of the 'carbonate mounds', (b) surveying the benthic communities in dependence of changing environmental factors and (c) investigations to the stabilization and lithification of the mound sediments

Cold-water coral reefs thriving under hypoxia

Reefs formed by scleractinian cold-water corals represent unique biodiversity hot spots in the deep sea, preferring aphotic water depths of 200–1000 m. The distribution of the most prominent reef-building species Lophelia pertusa is controlled by various environmental factors including dissolved oxygen concentrations and temperature. Consequently, the expected ocean deoxygenation and warming triggered by human-induced global change are considered as a serious threat to cold-water coral reefs. Here, we present results on recently discovered reefs in the SE Atlantic, where L. pertusa thrives in hypoxic and rather warm waters. This sheds new light on its capability to adapt to extreme conditions, which is facilitated by high surface ocean productivity, resulting in extensive food supply. Putting our data in an Atlantic-wide perspective clearly demonstrates L. pertusa’s ability to develop population-specific adaptations, which are up to now hardly considered in assessing its present and future distributions

Thousands of cold-water coral mounds along the Moroccan Atlantic continental margin : distribution and morphometry

Coral mounds formed by framework-forming cold-water corals pierce the seabed along most continental margins of the Atlantic Ocean and new sites are continuously being discovered. Here, we describe an extremely high accumulation of coral mounds at the NW Moroccan Atlantic margin between 35 degrees N and 35.5 degrees N. Within an area of only 1440 km(2), > 3400 mounds were found exposed at the seabed. The coral mounds are nowadays characterized by an almost complete lack of living cold-water corals. In addition, numerous buried mounds were identified in hydroacoustic sub-bottom profiles, and are estimated to be similar to 3.7 times more frequent than the exposed mounds. Consequently, a total of similar to 16,000 buried and exposed mounds is estimated for the entire study area. The exposed mounds are rather small with a mean height of 18 m and show a conspicuous arrangement in two slope-parallel belts that centre in water depths between 720 and 870 m and 890-980 m, respectively, putting them among the deepest mound occurrences discovered so far in the Atlantic. The mostly elongated mounds largely stretch downslope pointing to a significant influence of internal waves in the mound formation process. Moreover, based on their average dimensions, the entire coral mound volume can be estimated as 1.3 km(3), which means the mounds store a considerable amount of coral carbonate highlighting their potentially important role as regional carbonate factories. In combination with further occurrences of coral mounds along the Moroccan margin, both in the Mediterranean and in the Atlantic Ocean, these new findings underline Morocco's role as a hotspot for the occurrence of cold-water coral mounds