ROV Dive S0472 - Auka Vent Field

Join ROV SuBastian from the RV Falkor for the eleventh dive of the Interdisciplinary Investigation of the Pescadero Basin expedition. This is the third dive of the third leg, primarily focused on the biological component. The Auka Vent Field in the South Pescadero Basin consists of eight large edifices and several small hydrothermal features spanning 600 m in a south to north orientation. Auka was discovered during a 2015 MBARI expedition when Mapping AUV surveys revealed apparent vent features and subsequent ROV dives confirmed active venting with carbonate dominated chimneys and edifices. This dive has several primary objectives: (1) collect push cores and corresponding temperature profiles at oily mat site near Z vent (2) fly over survey the areal extent of mats south of Z vent (3) collect animals and gas tight sample in diffuse flow near oily mat site (4) collect rock samples in areas of active venting for microbial community and activity analyses, and (5) sample animals at P vent. https://schmidtocean.