Search
E-mail
RSS

Online submission Editor-in-chief Peer review Staff Login

Journal of Tropical Oceanography >

2024 , Vol. 43 >Issue 6: 201 - 203

DOI: https://doi.org/10.11978/2024033

Briefing

Deep-water faunas photographed on submarine mud volcanoes in the Dongsha Islands area——important discoveries in the tests of newly developed underwater cameras

  • JIN Yongbin , 1, 2 ,
  • YAN Pin 1, 2 ,
  • WANG Yanlin 1, 2 ,
  • LI Pengchun 1, 2
Expand
  • 1. Key Laboratory of Ocean and Marginal Sea Geology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China
  • 2. Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China
JIN Yongbin. email:

Editor: LIN Qiang

Received date: 2024-01-30

  Revised date: 2024-03-06

  Online published: 2024-03-14

Supported by

Special Support Program for Cultivating Highlevel Talents in Guangdong Province of Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou)(2019BT02H594)

National Natural Science Foundation of China(U1901217)

National Natural Science Foundation of China(41773039)

National Natural Science Foundation of China(41876052)

Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation(2021A1515011298)

National Key R&D Program of China(2021YFF0501202)

Fold

Abstract

On the geophysics-imaged mud volcanoes over the northwest Dongsha Waters, a large number of deep-water benthic living organisms, fossils, and authigenic carbonate nodules were photographed by our newly developed portable underwater camera on 250-350 m deep seafloor. The organisms comprise abundant deep-water corals, glass sponge, sea anemone, sea lily, fish, shrimp, lobster and bivalve. The photographs further revealed that active methane leakage and mud volcanic activity in the Dongsha Islands area.

Key words： underwater camera; Dongsha Islands; mud volcanos; deep-water benthic living organisms; methane leakage

Cite this article

JIN Yongbin , YAN Pin , WANG Yanlin , LI Pengchun . Deep-water faunas photographed on submarine mud volcanoes in the Dongsha Islands area——important discoveries in the tests of newly developed underwater cameras[J]. Journal of Tropical Oceanography, 2024 , 43(6) : 201 -203 . DOI: 10.11978/2024033

泥火山是地下泥浆和伴随物喷涌到地表或者海底形成丘状的地形构造, 其喷发物通常含有大量天然气、岩屑、水及石油(Dimitrov, 2002, 2003; Mazzini et al, 2017)。泥火山喷出的甲烷可以供养嗜甲烷菌生物链及自生碳酸盐岩结核, 在深海底形成天然气水合物。海底泥火山对生态环境油气资源研究具有重要的意义(Dimitrov, 2002, 2003)。以往的地球物理探测及取样发现东沙群岛海域存在大量泥火山分布的迹象, 其中有些可能还在喷溢甲烷(Yan et al, 2017), 但是一直缺少抵近观测证实。对于分布范围广的泥火山, 便携式摄像机是实现其常态化观测的有效设备。
为此, 我们研发了两代便携式水下相机系统。第一代(SCSIO-JDV-1)采用单光源体, 框架为圆柱体, 总高80cm, 直径60cm, 重量约40kg, 工作水深200m(图1)。第二代(SCSIO-JDV-2)采用四个高亮光源, 旋转臂采用水密轴承, 可快速调节拍摄角度; 设计了灯光和拍摄的预启动和关闭指令, 具有1080P像素90帧的拍摄能力, 框架为长方体, 下部边长59cm, 高79cm, 由于灯光的增加, 其总重增加到50kg, 最深可以达2500m的深度。在第一代基础上, 第二代灯光和相机等模块可以快速拆卸或者安装, 为常态化观测提供了便利。该设备相关技术已获国家发明专利授权(ZL202210199924.3)。与其他大型的需要吊机才能移动的水下相机设备相比, 我们的水下相机系统重量较轻, 体积相对较小, 适合便携操作。
图1 自主研发的两代水下摄像机

a. SCSIO-JDV-1, 工作水深 200m; b. SCSIO-JDV-2, 工作水深2500m

Fig. 1 Two generations of independently developed underwater cameras.

(a) SCSIO-JDV-1 (working water depth: 200 m); (b) SCSIO-JDV-2 (working water depth: 2500 m)

搭载嘉庚号, 我们分别采用两代摄像机于2020年(航次号NORC2020-06)及2021年(航次号NORC2021-06)在东沙西北部陆架(深度~250m)及陆坡(深度~350m)泥火山区各下潜6次(图2), 有效观测时间累计约6h, 获得了近60G数据。回放显示, 两次下潜成功拍摄了大量深水底栖珊瑚、海绵、海葵、海百合、海蛇尾及鱼虾螺贝等活体生物(图3)、化石以及自生碳酸盐岩结核, 证明了东沙海域底部生物繁盛、种类多样, 与地球物理证据一致(Yan et al, 2017), 进一步指示了东沙海区的甲烷泄漏及泥火山活动。
图2 东沙岛西北部采样点位置示意图

黄色点位: 航次号NORC2020-06; 红色点位: 航次号NORC2021-06。底图引自杨胜雄 等(2015), 审图号JS(2015)02-107

Fig. 2 Schematic diagram of the sampling sites in the northwest of the Dongsha Island.

Yellow points: voyage number NORC2020-06; red points: voyage number NORC2021-06

图3 东沙水域海底拍摄到的多种生物

a. 鱼类; b. 海百合; c. 海百合; d. 海葵; e. 珊瑚; f. 海蛇尾; g. 珊瑚、海绵及未知生物; h. 鱼类

Fig. 3 Various faunas photographed on the seabed of the Dongsha Island area.

(a) Fish; (b) crinoids; (c) crinoids; (d) sea anemones; (e) corals; (f) brittle stars; (g) corals, sponges and unknown organisms; (h) fish

References

Publishing order | Descend order by publishing year | Descend order by cited within
[1]
杨胜雄, 邱燕, 朱本铎, 等, 2015. 南海地质地球物理图系[M]. 天津: 中国航海图书出版社.

YANG SHENGXIONG, QIU YAN, ZHU BENDUO, et al, 2015. Geologic and geophysical atlas of the South China Sea[M]. Tianjin: China Navigation Publications (in Chinese).

[2]
DIMITROV L I, 2002. Mud volcanoes-the most important pathway for degassing deeply buried sediments[J]. Earth-Science Reviews, 59(1-4): 49-76.

[3]
DIMITROV L I, 2003. Mud volcanoes-a significant source of atmospheric methane[J]. Geo-Marine Letters, 23(3-4): 155-161.

[4]
MAZZINI A, ETIOPE G, 2017. Mud volcanism: an updated review[J]. Earth-Science Reviews, 168: 81-112.

[5]
YAN P, WANG Y L, LIU J, et al, 2017. Discovery of the southwest Dongsha Island mud volcanoes amid the northern margin of the South China Sea[J]. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 88: 858-870.

Options
Outlines

/

〈 〉