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3 clusters · 13 sources · 12 days · First seen · Last updated

Romanche Fracture Zone scientific expedition

Overview

The international scientific expedition ‘The Gap’ has departed from Fortaleza, Brazil, to begin its exploration of the Romanche Fracture Zone in the equatorial Atlantic. This 1,000-kilometer submarine formation of mountains and valleys lies between the northeast coast of Brazil and the West African continent.

Led by Professor José Angel Perez from the University of Vale do Itajaí (Univali) and Professor Kerry Howell from the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, the mission involves 25 specialists from five nationalities. Operating from the research vessel R/V Falkor (too) in partnership with the Schmidt Ocean Institute, the team is utilizing a rover and an autonomous submarine to map the terrain and collect rock and biological samples at depths reaching 4,500 meters.

A primary focus of the mission is to investigate the relationship between equatorial upwelling—the process where cold, nutrient-rich waters rise to the surface—and deep-sea biological communities. Researchers are working to understand how surface food production influences the seafloor, while also studying current dynamics, habitat morphology, and the potential impacts of climate change and ocean acidification on these fragile ecosystems. The findings are intended to provide scientific evidence to support future studies and the establishment of marine preservation areas.

Entities

University of Vale do Itajaí · Romanche Fracture Zone · José Angel Perez · Schmidt Ocean Institute · Falkor (too)

Timeline

  1. 4 days ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 4 sources
    Brazilian scientific expedition explores Atlantic abyss

    The ‘The Gap’ scientific expedition is mapping the Romanche Fracture Zone in the Atlantic to study deep-sea ecosystems and the impact of equatorial upwelling and climate change.

  2. 6 days ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 5 sources
    Brazilian scientific expedition to map Atlantic deep-sea fractures

    A Brazilian scientific expedition is exploring the Romanche Fracture Zone in the Atlantic to map deep-sea habitats and study the impact of equatorial upwelling and climate change on marine life.

  3. 15 days ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 4 sources
    Atlantic Ocean expedition to map Romanche Fracture Zone

    An international expedition led by Brazilian researchers will use a deep-sea robot to map the Romanche Fracture Zone in the Atlantic Ocean over a 42-day mission.

Sources

acessa.com · comciencia.br · diariodecampogrande.com.br · dicaappdodia.com · grnews.com.br · imprensapublica.com.br · mobile.valor.com.br · odiariodebarretos.com.br · oglobo.globo.com · paranaempresarial.com.br · piranot.com.br · popa.com.br · revistaempreende.com.br

This summary has been updated 1 time: see revision history