Scientists from the University of Hawaii (UH) have recently reported witnessing an unprecedented sight: 30-centimeter-long rock oysters, gigantic clams, volcanic craters, mineral towers, and CO2 bubbles erupting in columns from underwater volcanoes, as if champagne were being uncorked.
Research Director Alex Malahoff from the Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory (HURL) described these surprising findings to the Star Bulletin during the team’s five-month journey exploring Darwin’s origins. This expedition was part of a deep-sea survey of 13 active underwater volcanoes from American Samoa to New Zealand.
Malahoff, an expert in marine surveys, mentioned the analysis of a vast amount of scientific data collected from previously unknown volcanic craters in the “U.S.-New Zealand Undersea Ring of Fire Survey”. He stated, “For us, this marks the beginning of a new source of joy. I consider this survey to be the most important of my life. What is most noteworthy is that the trip was a great success.”
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A plethora of crabs and oysters can be found at the Monowai volcanic crater |
From the collected samples, microbiologist Maqsudul Alam from UH identified 27 new species of bacteria known as extremophiles, which thrive in extremely harsh conditions such as geothermal and hydrothermal areas. Pharmaceutical companies and various industries are highly interested in these microorganisms due to their potential applications in drug development, cosmetics, and other new products. Scientists from six research institutes in Germany, New Zealand, and Hawaii have surveyed the underwater volcanic craters along a 1,600-kilometer stretch from Samoa to New Zealand.
Terry Kerby, the Executive Director of HURL and the head of the pioneering dive team, noted, “In 27 years of diving, I can say this is truly the most exhilarating moment. Each dive into the ocean’s depths is a real expedition. Each volcanic crater reveals a truly astonishing and fascinating landscape.”
The research vessel Ka’imikai-O-Kanaloa departed from Hawaii on March 18, 2005, with two submersibles, Pisces 4 and Pisces 5, and returned on August 5, 2005. The scientists described this 1,600-kilometer journey as a pinnacle of success. This international team collected numerous samples for research on geology, chemistry, mineral formation, hydrothermal vents, and extremophiles before comparing them with previously unexamined volcanoes in the South Pacific.
In 2002, Malahoff took a sabbatical from UH to become the Executive Director of the Institute of Nuclear Science and Geology in Wellington, New Zealand. He frequently organized coordinated survey dives with various institutes, research agencies, and sponsors, with a total operational budget of approximately $3.5 million (primarily funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and scientists from Germany and New Zealand).
Malahoff believes that this survey is evidence of a ship that has expanded its boundaries beyond Hawaii, demonstrating that we can conduct surveys by “breaking out of the southern ocean limits to explore the other side of the world.” Due to the unpredictable dangers of the newly surveyed volcanic terrain, two lead divers had to split up, each diving with a different international scientific organization.
Kerby noted that 18 years of diving at Loihi—a volcano off the Big Island—served as a rehearsal for this expanded survey, the first international and interdisciplinary expedition to distant volcanoes. He reported that they have completed 61 scientific dives to depths of up to 1,524 meters underwater, including 41 dives to volcanoes that are nearly invisible from small submersibles.
The temperatures of hydrothermal vents on the Kermadec volcanic islands range from 400 to 600 degrees Fahrenheit. The abundant sulfur deposits at the volcanoes help create vibrant ecosystems around them, where thousands of shrimp, oysters, and tube worms can be found. He posits that underwater volcanoes are among the greatest contributors to greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere, as CO2 (previously stored in seawater) evaporates.
Researchers believe that the volcanoes from Samoa to New Zealand form “the largest natural underwater laboratory in the world,” capable of replicating similar models on other planets. In October 2005, scientists convened to discuss new findings and planned the next survey. Acting HURL Director John Witshire stated, “We are considering revisiting these volcanoes in three years because they are so fascinating.”
“The greatest hazard that small submersibles face is getting snagged in fishing nets or cable lines,” John Witshire remarked, subtly referencing the recent disaster of a Russian submarine caught in underwater cables, from which all crew members were thankfully rescued by British colleagues. He mentioned that, as expected, HURL’s second expedition will also prepare a dedicated rescue team.
Le Dao
