In an article published today in Scientific Reports, we identify the probability and magnitude of chlorophyll enhancements around seamounts. Our study shows seamount-induced chlorophyll enhancements (SICE) are most often associated with shallow (<100 m), low-latitude seamounts. SICE seamounts show chlorophyll enhancements of up to 56% relative to open-ocean waters and are associated with higher fisheries catch relative to non-SICE seamounts.
The study was led by Dr. Astrid Leitner (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute) and in collaboration with Dr. Jeffrey Drazen (University of Hawai’i at Mānoa). The work was supported by a Denise B. Evans Research Fellowship funded by the University of Hawai’i’s School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology and Department of Oceanography, as well as an Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies COFUND Fellowship funded by the Aarhus University Research Foundation & the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme, Marie-Curie Actions.
You can find the open-access article here.
