How flipping crabs revealed a hidden food supply in the ocean ecosystem
IVAN SEMENIUK SCIENCE REPORTER
PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 25, 2019
UPDATED 3 HOURS AGO
UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA - OCEAN NETWORKS CANADA/UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA - OCEAN NETWORKS CANADA
In the deep ocean some 50 kilometres off the coast of Vancouver Island, a group of Tanner crabs is foraging for food.
Suddenly, one of the crabs rises from the sea floor as if it is hoisted by an invisible force. A moment later, the crab flips over, releasing a large bubble of methane gas from beneath its carapace. It plunges back down, does a faceplant in the silt, then returns to its business – muddied, but seemingly unperturbed.
The curious scene was captured on video at a deep-sea station operated by Ocean Networks Canada, a federally-funded organization that supports marine science. Equal parts Jacques Cousteau and Charlie Chaplin, the video was the clue that led to a newly discovered link between the methane that is seeping out from under North America’s submerged western rim and some of the seafood that finds its way onto restaurant menus.
The curious scene was captured on video at a deep-sea station operated by Ocean Networks Canada, a federally-funded organization that supports marine science. A team of Canadian and U.S. scientists investigated what attracts the crabs – a migratory species – to this fizzy stretch of the ocean floor. After years of study, the scientists say the crabs are not there by chance, but to dine on bacteria that derive energy from digesting methane.
The link was uncovered when a team of Canadian and U.S. scientists investigated what attracts the crabs – a migratory species – to this fizzy stretch of the ocean floor. After years of study, the scientists say the crabs are not there by chance, but to dine on bacteria that derive energy from digesting methane.
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https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-how-flipping-crabs-revealed-a-hidden-food-supply-in-the-ocean/
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