Deep-Sea Biodiversity, Current Activity, and Seamounts in the Atlantic - Cruise No. M79/1 - June 10 - August 26, 2009 - Montevideo (Uruguay) - Ponta Delgada (Portugal) (English)

Cruise M79/1 DIVA-3 was devoted to the study of the biodiversity of abyssal plains in the western South Atlantic along latitudinal gradients. It complements the sampling campaigns in the eastern South Atlantic M48/1 DIVA-1, M63/2 DIVA-2 and Polarstern ANDEEP I-III cruises in the Southern Ocean. The northern Argentinean and the Brazilian Abyssal Plains were sampled using a standardize array of benthic gears including Trawls, Epibenthic Sledge, Box-Corer and Multicorer. In addition during this cruise the water column was sampled with plankton nets and scavengers were sampled with an autonomous baited trap lander. This cruise contributes to the Census of Marine Life project CeDAMar. On the way back to Ponta Delgada, a short pilot sampling campaign was undertaken on the Little and Great METEOR Seamounts, aswell as Hyères and Irving. The first high resolution multibeam map of the Little METEOR Seamount was produced.