Lead institution:
Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo – Japan
The Chemistry, Observation, Ecology of Submarine Seeps (COESS) project will focus on both hydrocarbon and hydrothermal seeps which occur in Japan and around the circum-Pacific.
The increased interest in both hydrocarbons associated with cold-seep plumes and rare earth metals associated with submarine hydrothermal deposits has highlighted an urgent need to study the ecosystems associated with them before they potentially become the object of commercial activity. In addition, the monitoring of these systems requires the development and deployment of instrumentation which can determine both baseline and natural variability of seafloor conditions around these seeps.
The project will promote public awareness in the importance of seeps, and their unique ecology. The relationship between seep gas emissions input into the oceans and atmosphere over time will also be investigated.
Start Date: 01/04/2022
End Date: 31/03/2025
Lead Contact: Glen Snyder (glen@aori.u-tokyo.ac.jp)
