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8. Continental slope, margin and cold seep ecosystems – Angola to the Congo Lobe
Resource ID
a7d9d338-a904-11eb-9c07-0242c0a8100c
Title
8. Continental slope, margin and cold seep ecosystems – Angola to the Congo Lobe
Date
Jan. 5, 2021, midnight, Publication
Abstract
The complex oceanic currents in this part of the Atlantic result in the widespread occurrence of strongly oxygen-depleted subsurface water masses. Despite such seemingly unfavourable conditions, diverse benthic ecosystems thrive along the Angolan continental slope, including cold-water corals and cold seep ecosystems. While the corals are fuelled by organic matter filtering down from surface plankton productivity, the cold seep ecosystems obtain their energy from natural methane emissions at the seafloor. As oxygen levels in the world ocean are predicted to decrease as a result of global change, the subtropical SE Atlantic can serve as a natural laboratory to understand how deep-sea marine ecosystems adapt to low oxygen conditions and, thus, to cope with one of the most serious threats to marine ecosystems.
Edition
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Owner
t.morato@gmail.com
Point of Contact
Morato
t.morato@gmail.com
Purpose
Boundary of the iAtlantic study region: 8. Continental slope, margin and cold seep ecosystems – Angola to the Congo Lobe
Maintenance Frequency
None
Type
not filled
Restrictions
None
License
Not Specified
Language
por
Temporal Extent
Start
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End
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Supplemental Information
The boundary of Region #8 was adjusted to better capture the work being carried out off Angola.UNIHB noted that the main working area off Angola is between 9°30' and 10°S and between 12°40' and 12°50' E.IFREMER noted they have some data on bathymetry and occurrence of pockmarks and cold seep fauna (although not very active) in the Gabon EEZ, Guiness site, at -1°34'S - 8°32'E, between 600-800m depth. However, no changes were made to encompass this area.
Data Quality
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Extent
  • x0: 5.000000000000000
  • x1: 12.500000000000000
  • y0: -10.500000000000000
  • y1: -4.500000000000000
Spatial Reference System Identifier
EPSG:4326
Keywords
no keywords
Category
Boundaries
Regions
Global