Benthic megafaunal biodiversity of the Charlie-Gibbs fracture zone: spatial variation, potential drivers, and conservation status.

Unlabelled: The Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone (CGFZ) is a prominent geological feature offsetting the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR), consisting of two parallel fractures, creating a highly variable seafloor bathymetry. It has been defined as the most important latitudinal biodiversity transitional zone on the MAR. Despite this recognition, the faunal communities living on the fracture zone have not been extensively described.

Reconstructing the sediment concentration of a giant submarine gravity flow.

Submarine gravity flows are responsible for the largest sediment accumulations on the planet, but are notoriously difficult to measure in action. Giant flows transport 100s of km of sediment with run-out distances over 2000 km. Sediment concentration is a first order control on flow dynamics and deposit character.

New approaches to high-resolution mapping of marine vertical structures.

Vertical walls in marine environments can harbour high biodiversity and provide natural protection from bottom-trawling activities. However, traditional mapping techniques are usually restricted to down-looking approaches which cannot adequately replicate their 3D structure. We combined sideways-looking multibeam echosounder (MBES) data from an AUV, forward-looking MBES data from ROVs and ROV-acquired videos to examine walls from Rockall Bank and Whittard Canyon, Northeast Atlantic.