End-of-year update: Blue hole studies deepen in the Gulf of Mexico
Mote scientists dive in a blue hole on Nov. 18, 2018. Credit: Brad Tanner/Mote Marine Laboratory
On Nov. 18, 2018, Mote Marine Laboratory scientists and colleagues dove deep into an offshore “blue hole” in the Gulf of Mexico, launching a new round of exploration and research into these underwater caves, springs and sinkholes whose scientific investigation has been pioneered by Mote. On Nov. 18 the dive team visited the blue hole “Amberjack,” which is 120 feet deep at its rim and 300-360 feet deep at the bottom.
Mote Ocean Acidification Program Manger Dr. Emily Hall is leading the new blue hole study focusing on Amberjack and the even deeper blue hole “Green Banana” with Mote Benthic Ecology Program Manager Jim Culter and partners from Florida Atlantic University, Georgia Institute of Technology and the U.S. Geological Survey. They’re using cool technology to study the chemistry and life forms in these offshore holes, and they’re investigating whether the holes are linked to the Florida Aquifer. Project partners sincerely thank the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research for the grant that supports this project.
- Read about the study in the December issue of Mote Magazine: http://mote.org/publications
(Click the top issue and turn to page 15 for the story “A ‘hole’ new look into Florida’s offshore frontiers.”)