A new scientific expedition is getting ready to descend to the seabed of Patagonia, with the mission of studying two underwater canyons located off the coasts of Río Negro and Chubut. This initiative is led by the CONICET in collaboration with national and international foundations.
The scientists will focus on two poorly explored areas: one located 500 kilometers from Viedma and another 450 kilometers from Rawson. The campaign will take place from September 30 to October 30, and is part of an international effort to better understand deep-sea ecosystems.
The main objective is to investigate how these underwater canyons can act as natural corridors that transport cold and nutrient-rich currents from the depths to shallower areas of the ocean. This dynamic can be crucial to sustain biodiversity.
The expedition will also seek to analyze how these water masses interact with the seabed and their impact on different forms of life, from microscopic plankton to large species that inhabit the southern waters.
Technology, biodiversity, and monitoring in the seabed of Patagonia
To achieve these objectives, the team will use a wide range of technological tools. Among them, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) stand out, capable of recording images and taking samples in the depths without direct human intervention.
Additionally, echosounders will be used to map the seabed, rosettes with Niskin bottles to collect water from different depths, and CTD sensors that will measure physical and chemical parameters of the ocean such as temperature, oxygen, and salinity.
Buoys, current meters, and observation platforms will allow monitoring the movement of the waters and their relationship with the organisms that inhabit them. All the collected material will be crucial to understand how this complex and little-known system functions.
The campaign is part of a line of scientific research that follows the Uruguayan expedition “Uruguay Sub 200.” These missions seek to connect oceanic data with ecological and climatic processes, in a context of increasing environmental pressure on the seas.
CONICET expedition in the submarine canyon of Mar del Plata
Underwater expeditions: keys to the planet
Exploring the seabed allows us to discover ecosystems that remain hidden to science. These areas, far from the surface and direct human intervention, host unique biodiversity, often endemic and extremely sensitive to environmental changes.
Expeditions like this help identify areas that may require special protection. They also help understand how nutrients circulate, how complex habitats are formed, and how different species interact in extreme conditions of pressure and darkness.
Studying underwater canyons and their dynamics provides fundamental clues about the role of the ocean in regulating the global climate. These structures can influence carbon capture, heat transport, and the behavior of deep currents.
Thanks to these studies, it is also possible to improve predictive models regarding climate change and strengthen evidence-based conservation policies. With each descent into the marine abyss, science adds new tools to care for the balance of the blue planet.
