Discovery of Active Cold Seeps and Cold-Water Coral Reefs in the Colorado Basin and Management Implications

BRAVO, M.E.; PRINCIPI, S.; PACHECO, L. I. ; SANCHEZ, C.A.; PALMA, FERMÍN; ORMAZABAL, JUAN PABLO; ISOLA, JOSÉ ; ESTEBAN, FEDERICO D.; BRAN, DONALDO M.; LEVIN, LISA A.; TASSONE, ALEJANDRO

Montevideo

Conferencia; First EAGE Conference on South Atlantic Offshore Energy Resources; 2023

The aim of this work is to detect priority areas for conservation of biodiversity and ecological functions from the deep seafloor of Colorado Basin. This study presents results of acoustic surveys and direct physical sampling of the seafloor during the cruises YTEC-GTGM 4 (2019) and YTEC-GTGM 5 (2022) aboard the R/V Austral (CONICET). The integration of bathymetry and sub-bottom profiles allowed the identification of areas suitable for the settlement of both chemosynthetic ecosystems and cold-water corals, which sometimes use hard substrate associated with past methane seepage. The information obtained by direct sampling of these areas allowed confirmation that the ecosystems associated to these areas are significant for conservation of ecological functions and biodiversity of the region. The features of these type of ecosystems make them valuable for conservation but also as particularly vulnerable to anthropic disturbance. Notably, they meet the criteria from FAO and CDB to be considered as VMEs and EBSAs. This work highlights the need for conservation areas in the Colorado Basin. This information can help decision-makers to improve the cost-effective ratio in both conservation and mitigation actions.