A TV Sled and a Pelican

METEOR blog 19:00 4 March 2015
94o21'W 19o21'N

Blog author Ian MacDonald removing his VTLC camera
system from the TV sled.       Photo: SVN

We recovered the video time-lapse camera from the TV sled after a 5-hour tow across a large ridge feature we have named UNAM Ridge in honor of the Universidad Nacional Autonomos de Mexico. This site was promising because surveys in the night had identified gas flares rising from the seafloor. During the survey, we saw features that looked like asphalt, carbonate rock, and chemosynthetic fauna. But the black and white video images were poor quality and we could not be certain of what we were seeing. The next hours were occupied with reviewing the video and other survey data to choose sampling sites for the ROV dive tomorrow. The ROV crew has been really busy unloading the vehicle components from shipping containers and preparing all the systems for diving. They have been especially challenged because three members of the team are recovering from a severe flu and are only just returning to work.

                                   Freeing the pelican          Photo: SVN

Meanwhile, METEOR was adopted by a wandering bird. This pelican perched on our rail and hopped around on deck, making itself right at home. We soon noticed that it had a length of black rope wrapped tightly around its left foot. Adriana Gaytan-Caballaro, Ph.D. student from UNAM, secured its beak while members of the crew, including the captain, removed the rope. Soon the bird was hopping around the deck again, accepting a meal of a couple of fish and a nice freshwater hose down. Overnight it disappeared. Auf Wiedersehen METEOR.

A series of video clips from the TV sled showed tubeworms, massive carbonate rocks and mussel shells on and around where the bubble plumes had been spotted in the previous survey.

Tube worms, mussel shells, and carbonates seen by the TV sled
pinpoint seep location

The biological community confirms that we have active oil and gas seepage at this site. Plotting the location of the communities along the track followed by the TV sled gives us our dive target for tomorrow's ROV operation.