PMEL Earth-Ocean Interactions Program logo National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory Earth-Ocean Interactions Program
2006 Videos: Ocean Explorer Return to the Mariana Arc
The edited video clips show highlights from East Diamante dives with the JASON II remotely operated vehicle.
These movies are larger format versions (480 x 360) of the video clips available on the NOAA Ocean Exploration web site, along with images and logs from the expedition.


NW Eifuku    
Eifuku 1   Champagne vent at NW Eifuku was discovered in 2004 and was found to be venting gas-rich hydrothermal fluid and droplets of liquid CO2 from the seafloor. In 2006, Champagne vent is still active and we are now studying the effects of the high levels of CO2 on the surrounding colonies of chemosynthetic mussels.
Quicktime: 12.8 MB | Windows Media 5.3 MB
     
Eifuku 2   In addition to the dense colonies of mussels at NW Eifuku, there are also the same two species of shrimp that we found at NW Rota-1 (the volcano we found to be actively erupting). However, at NW Eifuku the two shrimp species live in different habitats separated from one another, whereas at NW Rota-1 they are found together.
Quicktime: 16.9 MB | Windows Media 6.5 MB
     
  Even though there are huge numbers of mussels living around the hydrothermal vents at NW Eifuku, we hardly ever find any dead shells which is very unusual. We suspect that the high levels of CO2 being released from the volcano increase the acidity of the water and after a mussel dies its shell is quickly dissolved. Documenting this process at NW Eifuku may help us understand the potential impacts of increased CO2 levels in the marine environment caused by human activities.
Quicktime: 24.2 MB | Windows Media 9.4 MB