Rachel McKay
Benthic fauna distribution and abundance in relation to geological substrate on Brothers Volcano, Kermadec Arc, using direct sea-floor imaging.
Submarine volcanoes are host to a variety of organisms and environments. Compared to continental volcanoes, little is known about how volcanic processes impact submarine ecological systems. This project focuses on characterizing the relationships between hydrothermal communities and geological features on Brothers Volcano, part of the Kermadec Arc north of New Zealand, which is one of the most hydrothermally active volcanoes known. Using an underwater camera, thousands of images were collected along two transects along the cone in the southern part of the caldera, and along the northwest steep wall of the caldera. The presence of different sized rocks, sediments, biology, hydrothermal deposits, cloudiness in the water, ripples and cliffs were analyzed to better understand the relationship between organism distribution and abundance with volcanic features. Hydrothermal deposits and unstable substrates have the largest affect on organism distribution and abundance. The relationships found between volcanic features and hydrothermal communities at Brothers volcano contributes to further understanding these unique submarine ecosystems.