Cruise 2011

MAMBA 2011 team

Michail Yakimov, Violetta La Cono, Luis Monticelli, Gina La Spada, Francesco Smedile, Mireno Borghini, Gioacchino Ruggeri  (IAMC-CNR), Stéphane L'Haridon (IFREMER), Maria Pachiadaki, Andreas Oikonomou (EDUK), Aleksandr Merkel (INMI RAN), Francesca Mapelli, Giuseppe Merlino (University of Milano), Sebastiaan Rampen (NIOZ), Vladlen Slepak (University of Miami), Guenter Jost (Leibniz-Institute for  Baltic Sea Research), Anna Lopatina (Institure of Molecular Genetics, RAN)

The sampled sites are following reported:

SC5     Matapan                      36°34.00N, 21°07.28E

SC9     Tyro                            33°52.726N, 26°02.311E

SC6a   Medee                         34°28.600N 22°15.823E

SC6b   Kryos                          34°55.026N, 22°01.471E

SC6d   Urania mud volcano    35°13.830N, 21°28.433E

SC2     KM3                            36°30.616N, 15°40.615E

During the cruise 2011 the sampling activity has mostly been done at mud volcanoes and to Deep-sea anoxic brine pools. Cold seeps are represent unique ecosystems  in deep sites of Medditerenean sea associated to mud volcanoes, and are inhabited by microbial chemolitotrophic  communities;  tubeworms and bivalves, containing symbiotic microorganisms. The sampling sites of a special interest were mud volcanoes Napoli Dom and Urania.

The deepest site of the Med Sea –the  hadal canyon Matapan Deep (5125m) is rich in organic matter in comparison with surrounding areas and was another highlight sampling site. It is populated by high numbers of endemic organisms, although quite little is known regarding the prokaryotic organisms living there.

Map of the cruise, sampling stations indicated as red dots

Photos of the 2011 cruise