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Deepseawaters
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Bay Sinkholes 2008
Thunder Bay Sinkholes 2008
From
July 2008 to July 2009, the Lake Huron Sinkhole project team
will explore shallow and deep coastal sinkholes in order to
understand the chemical and physical properties that contribute
to the unique ecology found in these systems. This multi-investigator
team will gather data on the hydrology (the flow rates and
dispersion of groundwater), biology and chemistry from submerged
groundwater vents located within the boundaries of the Thunder
Bay National Marine Sanctuary, in northwestern Lake Huron.
During the project, the team will collect benthic (bottom)
samples of the unusual microbial mats growing in very low
oxygen conditions to determine how groundwater chemistry allows
them to thrive. Samples of these microbial mats will also
be analyzed for their potential application as pharmaceuticals.
A long-term understanding of the groundwater's chemical and
physical characteristics such as conductivity (an indication
of the presence of ions), temperature, and flow will be obtained
from a moored hydrographic instrument array. Mapping of chemical
and biological characteristics over large spatial areas will
done using underwater remotely operated vehicles
(ROVs) and diver-led sample collection work.
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