Oasis of life discovered in the Maldives

Discovery of the capture zone

"The discovery of the 'Trapping Zone', an oasis of life in the depths around the Maldives, provides us with important new insights that further reaffirm our commitments to protect and sustainably manage the oceans and will almost certainly support fisheries and tourism," stated the President of the Maldives HE Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

"Imagery data combined with the biological samples we collected from our submersibles and extensive sonar mapping all point to megafauna predators such as sharks and other large fish feeding on schools of micronekton - small swimming creatures that roam the underwater landscape trapped are those depths,” explained Professor Lucy Woodall, Principal Investigator at Nekton.

Vertical migration on vertical cliffs

The underwater volcanic layers and fossilized carbonate reefs that form the base of the Maldivian atolls combine sheer vertical cliffs and sloping terraces that appear to prevent these species from diving deeper when the sun comes up. These animals typically migrate from the deep sea to the surface at night and dive back down at dawn, also known as the vertical migration — the largest nocturnal migration on Earth.

Captured animals are attacked by large pelagic predators, including schools of tuna and sharks, as well as familiar, large, deep-sea fish including the spiny Oreo (named after the biscuit) and Alfonsino.

Exceptionally many sharks

"We have observed sharks extensively in shallower waters in the Maldives, but for the first time we have been able to document an immense diversity of sharks in the deep sea," said Shafiya Naeem, Director General of the Maldives Marine Research Institute, which collaborated with Nekton on the expedition . Tiger sharks, sixgill sharks, sand tiger sharks, dogfish, swallowers, scalloped hammerheads, silky sharks and the very rare bramble shark have all been documented.

Oasis of life is a biodiversity hotspot

Marine ecosystems are defined by both topography and ocean life. "This has all the hallmarks of a distinct new ecosystem," said Professor Alex Rogers, who spent over 30 hours underwater in the mission's submersibles observing "The Trapping Zone" during the expedition. "The trapping zone creates an oasis of life in the Maldives and it is very likely to exist on other oceanic islands and also on the slopes of the continents," Professor Rogers added.

While a trapping effect has been associated with the biodiversity hotspots on seamounts or seamounts, the link with the different geomorphology and biological parameters of oceanic islands such as the Maldives has been lacking.

Protection of the endangered paradise

“The Maldives, a coral atoll archipelago nation, faces an existential threat posed by human impact and climate change. For our survival as a nation, we should seek science-based solutions that will help us mitigate and adapt to the catastrophic effects of climate change," said Dr. Hussain Rasheed Hassan, Minister for Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture. “The evolutionary history of this beautiful coral atoll area has left its mark on the bedrock, deposits and fauna of the deep. This mission shows how we can use science to survive as a nation.”

Analysis of the video recordings and biological data is being carried out in the Maldives, at Nekton's UK headquarters in Oxford and at partner laboratories. The discovery could have important implications for other oceanic islands and the slopes of continents, sustainable fisheries management, storing carbon in the soil and ultimately mitigating climate change.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EiJ5ZXjDhY

Source: https://nektonmission.org/news