Канад улсын эрэг орчмын далайн гүнээс урьд өмнө нь унтарсан гэж үзэж байсан галт уул идэвхтэй хэвээр байгааг эрдэмтэд тогтоож, тус бүс нутаг нь далайн гүний амьтдын үржлийн онцгой бүс болохыг илрүүлжээ.
Канадын Загасны аж ахуй болон далай тэнгисийн судалгааны хүрээлэнгийн мэргэжилтэн Черисс Дю Призээр удирдуулсан баг далайн түвшнээс 1.5 километрийн гүнд орших ууланд судалгаа хийжээ. Судлаачид тус галт уулыг ажиллагаагүй, хүйтэн бүс гэж таамаглаж байсан ч халуун ус болон эрдэс бодисоор баялаг урсгал ялгарч байгааг илрүүлсэн байна. Энэхүү дулаан орчин нь шүрэн цэцэрлэгт хүрээлэн шиг экосистемийг бүрдүүлж, Номхон далайн цагаан скат загас үржилд орох таатай нөхцөлийг бүрдүүлжээ.
Судлаачид тус галт уулын оргил хэсгээс 100,000-аас нэг сая хүртэлх тооны том хэмжээтэй, дөрвөлжин хэлбэртэй өндөг олсон нь хамгийн гайхалтай нээлт болжээ. Эдгээр өндөг нь ойролцоогоор 0.5 метрийн хэмжээтэй бөгөөд галт уулын халуун ус нь өндөгний хөгжлийг хурдасгаж, төл загасны амьдрах чадварыг сайжруулдаг байж болзошгүй гэж эрдэмтэд таамаглаж байна.
Энэхүү судалгаа нь цагаан скат загасны үржлийн үйл явцыг бодитоор ажиглах ховор боломжийг олгосон бөгөөд тэдгээр загасны өсөлт хөгжилтөд галт уулын дулаан хэрхэн нөлөөлдгийг харуулсан байна. Одоогоор тус бүс нутаг нь хамгаалалтад авагдаагүй байгаа тул загас агнуурын үйл ажиллагаанаас үүдэлтэй эрсдэлүүд тулгарч болзошгүйг эрдэмтэд анхаарууллаа.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
Deep beneath the Pacific Ocean, scientists have uncovered an extraordinary hidden ecosystem: an ancient underwater volcano once believed to be extinct is still releasing warm fluids and has become a giant nursery. The summit of the seamount was found covered with thousands of large eggs.
The discovery was made during an expedition off the Pacific coast of Canada, where researchers explored a submerged mountain nearly 1.5 kilometers below the surface. The team expected to find a cold and inactive volcanic structure, but instead encountered warm water, deep-sea corals and a surprising concentration of marine life.
The underwater mountain rises 3,600 feet (1,100 meters) above the seafloor and was found to be an active geological site. Scientists observed Pacific white skates (Bathyraja spinosissima) moving across the summit and laying eggs in an environment warmed by volcanic activity.
The expedition was led by Cherisse Du Preez, a deep-sea marine biologist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Speaking to Live Science, she described the location as “a really special place on top of a really special place.”
A “Dead” Volcano Reveals A Hidden Ocean Habitat
Before the expedition, scientists believed the underwater volcano was no longer active and that the surrounding waters were extremely cold. However, it was revealed that the seamount was still producing warm, mineral-rich fluids.
The heat created by the volcanic activity appeared to provide suitable conditions for deep-sea organisms living in one of the most challenging environments on Earth. The summit was covered with deep-sea corals, forming a complex habitat where Pacific white skates could reproduce.
The discovery, reported in a YouTube video, also matched earlier observations from another volcanic region. In 2018, researchers found Pacific white skate eggs near hydrothermal vents in the Galápagos Islands.
Those findings indicated that the animals may use volcanic warmth as a natural incubator for their eggs. The Canadian discovery strengthened that connection, showing that volcanic environments may play an important role in the reproductive cycle of this little-known species.
A Hidden Egg Nursery Deep Below The Ocean
The most surprising part of the expedition was the scale of the breeding area. Researchers found the summit covered with thousands of large, rectangular eggs belonging to Pacific white skates. Cherisse Du Preez estimated that the site could contain between 100,000 and one million eggs.
“I’d estimate the summit of the seamount, which was covered in eggs, had, I don’t know, 100,000? A million?” she told Live Science. Each egg measured around 1.5 feet (0.5 meters) across, making them unusually large.
The size of this nursery was far greater than the only previous Pacific white skate breeding site identified before this discovery. Du Preez explained that the Galápagos nursery contained “a dozen or two eggs.”
Pacific white skates remain among the least understood deep-sea animals. They live at depths between 2,600 and 9,500 feet (800 to 2,900 meters) along the western coasts of North and Central America. Adult females can grow up to 6.5 feet (2 meters) long and produce eggs often called “mermaid purses” because of their bag-like appearance.
Deep-Sea Skates Found Near Volcanic Heat
Beyond discovering the nursery itself, researchers gained a rare opportunity to observe Pacific white skate reproduction directly. The expedition recorded the first footage of a female skate laying eggs. The eggs take several years to develop. Du Preez explained that the warm waters surrounding the volcano may help accelerate this process and improve survival chances for young skates.
“It takes four years for the young to develop. The warm water likely speeds up the gestation period of the eggs, resulting in more successful juveniles.” She added that “the shallow summit of the seamount is almost a coral garden and a safe nursery for juveniles to grow before they descend to the deep. It’s a win-win.”
Researchers will continue monitoring the egg-covered seamount, which is currently not protected and could face threats from fishing activities.
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