Scientists from Santa Catarina to Explore Deep Atlantic
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Scientists from Santa Catarina to Explore Deep Atlantic
- Three researchers from the University of Vale do Itajaí (Univali) in Santa Catarina, Brazil, are embarking on an international expedition on September 18, 2026, to investigate the Romanche Fracture Zone in the Atlantic Ocean, an area largely unexplored.
- Led by Professor José Angel Perez, the mission, named "The GAP," aims to describe the ecological patterns of deep-water benthic species and communities.
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Researchers from Univali, including Professor José Angel Perez and doctoral student Lucas Gavazzoni, are participating in a significant international deep-sea exploration. The expedition, called “Mind the Geological GAP: Unveiling deep habitats and communities in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge Fracture Zone,” will focus on the Romanche Fracture Zone, situated in the Central West Atlantic between Brazil and West Africa. This region is of particular scientific interest due to its unique geological formation during the expansion of the Atlantic Ocean, featuring diverse deep-sea landscapes with depths reaching 6,000 meters.
The Romanche Trench, part of this zone, is the third-deepest trench in the Atlantic, reaching 7,761 meters and playing a crucial role in deep-ocean water circulation. Historically, such deep-sea areas were considered to have low biodiversity, but current understanding suggests they may be biodiversity hotspots requiring protection. The expedition will utilize the research vessel R/V Falkor (too), operated by the Schmidt Ocean Institute, which is equipped with advanced laboratories and a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) named SuBastian, capable of descending to 4,500 meters to collect samples and imagery.
The “GAP” expedition seeks to explore and document the ecological patterns of deep-sea species and communities, contributing to the debate on high-seas conservation in the Atlantic. Professor Perez has a background in oceanography and deep-sea biology, with extensive experience in deep biodiversity studies in the South Atlantic. This mission follows other recent expeditions in the South Atlantic that have uncovered numerous new marine species, highlighting the vast unexplored biodiversity of the ocean’s midwater and deep-sea environments.