Managing ecosystems under the sea
Seamounts can be described as offshore mountains protruding over 1,000 metres above the ocean floor. They can be found isolated or as a group of undersea elevations and their summits do not extend above the surface of the ocean. The tops and sides of seamounts consist of ancient volcanic rock and rich precious minerals. It is estimated that tens of thousands of seamounts are still in existence worldwide. This is great news for science, industry and conservation. Seamounts act as 'stirring rods' of the oceans. They are also important because of their enhanced productivity, their high local biodiversity, and the growing exploitation of their natural resources. Threats to seamount ecosystems caused by over-fishing and the impact of trawling, for example, are of growing concern. The EC-funded project OASIS (oceanic seamounts: an integrated study) has used a holistic approach to conduct two case studies examining the processes involved in seamount ecosystems. It was the first European scientific seamount study integrating physical, biogeochemical and biological research. Its main goal was to assess the ecosystem in the vicinity of two selected seamounts. The results obtained from this assessment have been incorporated in ecosystem models and employed in originating concepts for the purpose of seamount conservation. These results and the management options discovered will be useful for stakeholders and policy makers in aiding conservation measures and in the sustainable use of seamounts.
