Episode 15: Asphalt Ecosystems

Authors

David Levin, Mind Open Media
Ian MacDonald, Florida State University

Document Type

Podcast

Publication Date

2019

Keywords

Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Gulf of Mexico, C-IMAGE

Abstract

At the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, some truly bizarre ecosystems are hiding in the darkness among the asphalt volcanoes and supporting huge colonies of unique life. C-IMAGE has been analyzing these ecosystems and reveals that if chemosynthetic communities are harmed, it could affect other environments as well. The microbes that power those communities don’t just eat chemicals in oil or asphalt—they also eat up a lot of free-floating carbon that would otherwise escape to the rest of the ocean… and eventually, get into the atmosphere, adding to global climate change.

Rights Information

Terms of use for work posted in Scholar Commons.

Citation / Publisher Attribution

Asphalt Ecosystems, The Loop, Mind Open Media

Scholar Commons Citation

Levin, David and MacDonald, Ian, "Episode 15: Asphalt Ecosystems" (2019). The Loop. 3.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/loop/3