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Monterey Canyon

About: Monterey Canyon is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 137 publications have been published within this topic receiving 5519 citations.


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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present the first-ever in-situ measurements of velocity profiles of four turbidity currents whose maximum along-canyon velocity reached 190 cm/s.
Abstract: [1] Turbidity currents are thought to be the main mechanism to move ∼500,000 m3 of sediments annually from the head of the Monterey Submarine Canyon to the deep-sea fan. Indirect evidence has shown frequent occurrences of such turbidity currents in the canyon, but the dynamic properties of the turbidity currents such as maximum speed, duration, and dimensions are still unknown. Here we present the first-ever in-situ measurements of velocity profiles of four turbidity currents whose maximum along-canyon velocity reached 190 cm/s. Two turbidity currents coincided with storms that produced the highest swells and the biggest stream flows during the year-long deployment.

269 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Apr 2010-Ecology
TL;DR: The findings indicated that multiple linked processes related to habitat heterogeneity, ecosystem engineering, and bottom-up dynamics are important to deep-sea biodiversity.
Abstract: Habitat heterogeneity is a major structuring agent of ecological assemblages promoting beta diversity and ultimately contributing to overall higher global diversity. The exact processes by which heterogeneity increases diversity are scale dependent and encompass variation in other well-known processes, e.g., productivity, disturbance, and temperature. Thus, habitat heterogeneity likely triggers multiple and cascading diversity effects through ecological assemblages. Submarine canyons, a pervasive feature of the world's oceans, likely increase habitat heterogeneity at multiple spatial scales similar to their terrestrial analogues. However, our understanding of how processes regulating diversity, and the potential for cascading effects within these important topographic features, remains incomplete. Utilizing remote-operated vehicles (ROVs) for coring and video transects, we quantified faunal turnover in the deep-sea benthos at a rarely examined scale (1 m-1 km). Macrofaunal community structure, megafaunal density, carbon flux, and sediment characteristics were analyzed for the soft-bottom benthos at the base of cliff faces in Monterey Canyon (northeast Pacific Ocean) at three depths. We documented a remarkable degree of faunal turnover and changes in overall community structure at scales < 100 m, and often < 10 m, related to geographic features of a canyon complex. Ultimately, our findings indicated that multiple linked processes related to habitat heterogeneity, ecosystem engineering, and bottom-up dynamics are important to deep-sea biodiversity.

209 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Authigenic carbonates associated with modern cold seep biological communities and their extinct analogues exhibit a broad range in stable isotope and mineral composition within a limited geographic area of Monterey Bay as mentioned in this paper.

197 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Sep 2013
TL;DR: In this article, the authors reviewed 1149 video records of marine debris from 22 years of remotely operated vehicle deployments in Monterey Bay, covering depths from 25 m to 3971 m. Debris was most abundant within Monterey Canyon where aggregation and downslope transport of debris from the continental shelf are enhanced by natural canyon dynamics.
Abstract: Anthropogenic marine debris is an increasing concern because of its potential negative impacts on marine ecosystems. This is a global problem that will have lasting effects for many reasons, including: (1) the input of debris into marine environments is likely to continue (commensurate with population increase and globalization), (2) accumulation, and possibly retention, of debris will occur in specific areas due to hydrography and geomorphology, and (3) the most common types of debris observed to date will likely persist for centuries. Due to the technical challenges and prohibitive costs of conducting research in the deep sea, little is known about the abundance, types, sources, and impacts of human refuse on this vast habitat, and the extreme depths to which this debris is penetrating has only recently been exposed. We reviewed 1149 video records of marine debris from 22 years of remotely operated vehicle deployments in Monterey Bay, covering depths from 25 m to 3971 m. We characterize debris by type, examine patterns of distribution, and discuss potential sources and dispersal mechanisms. Debris was most abundant within Monterey Canyon where aggregation and downslope transport of debris from the continental shelf are enhanced by natural canyon dynamics. The majority of debris was plastic (33%) and metal (23%). The highest relative frequencies of plastic and metal observations occurred below 2000 m, indicating that previous studies may greatly underestimate the extent of anthropogenic marine debris on the seafloor due to limitations in observing deeper regions. Our findings provide evidence that submarine canyons function to collect debris and act as conduits for debris transport from coastal to deep-sea habitats.

192 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Nitrate-concentrating and respiration potentials of these chemolithoautotrophs suggest that the Beggiatoa spp.
Abstract: Massive accumulations of very large Beggiatoa spp. are found at a Monterey Canyon cold seep and at Guaymas Basin hydrothermal vents. Both environments are characterized by high sediment concentrations of soluble sulfide and low levels of dissolved oxygen in surrounding waters. These filamentous, sulfur-oxidizing bacteria accumulate nitrate intracellularly at concentrations of 130 to 160 mM, 3,000- to 4,000-fold higher than ambient levels. Average filament widths range from 24 to 122 (mu)m, and individual cells of all widths possess a central vacuole. These findings plus recent parallel discoveries for Thioploca spp. (H. Fossing, V. A. Gallardo, B. B. Jorgensen, M. Huttel, L. P. Nielsen, H. Schulz, D. E. Canfield, S. Forster, R. N. Glud, J. K. Gundersen, J. Kuver, N. B. Ramsing, A. Teske, B. Thamdrup, and O. Ulloa, Nature (London) 374:713-715, 1995) suggest that nitrate accumulation may be a universal property of vacuolate, filamentous sulfur bacteria. Ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase and 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase activities in the Beggiatoa sp. from Monterey Canyon suggest in situ autotrophic growth of these bacteria. Nitrate reductase activity is much higher in the Monterey Beggiatoa sp. than in narrow, laboratory-grown strains of Beggiatoa spp., and the activity is found primarily in the membrane fraction, suggesting that the vacuolate Beggiatoa sp. can reduce nitrate coupled to electron flow through an electron transport system. Nitrate-concentrating and respiration potentials of these chemolithoautotrophs suggest that the Beggiatoa spp. described here are an important link between the sulfur, nitrogen, and carbon cycles at the Monterey Canyon seeps and the Guaymas Basin hydrothermal vents where they are found.

178 citations

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Performance
Metrics
No. of papers in the topic in previous years
YearPapers
20212
20202
20194
20185
20175
20167