Deep Sea Wonders Episode 4: Grenada & The Jenny That Kicks

Summary

This video explores the fascinating undersea volcano Kick 'em Jenny, located near Grenada in the Caribbean. Active since 1939, it’s the region’s only active submarine volcano. Scientists from various disciplines, including oceanographers and biologists, have studied its eruptions and unique underwater ecosystems. In 2013 and 2014, a scientific expedition aboard the Nautilus uncovered surprising discoveries, including giant marine creatures and ecosystems supported by chemical-rich fluids. The video highlights the importance of understanding and protecting the deep-sea environment, emphasizing global cooperation in managing the ocean's ecosystems.

Takeaways

• 🌋 Kick'em Jenny is the only active submarine volcano in the Caribbean, located just 8 km north of Grenada.
• 🔬 The volcano's summit is approximately 180 meters below sea level and has erupted 14 times since its discovery in 1939.
• 🚢 Scientific research vessels like the Nautilus help monitor underwater volcanoes and gather data for global research.
• 📚 In 2013 and 2014, an expedition aboard the Nautilus helped uncover secrets of the Kick'em Jenny volcano, providing live images of its environment.
• 🧭 A detailed bathymetric map was created during the research, allowing scientists to track changes in the volcano's morphology.
• 🔍 Kick'em Jenny has unique ecosystems driven by chemical-rich fluids from volcanic activity, which sustain deep-sea life through chemosynthesis.
• 🐙 The area around the volcano is teeming with bacteria, shrimp, crabs, lobsters, fish, and octopus, forming a unique deep-sea food web.
• 🐚 Record-breaking species have been discovered around the volcano, including giant tube worms and large beds of mussels.
• 🌍 The deep ocean faces multiple threats, including climate change, ocean acidification, fishing, mining, and oil extraction.
• 🌊 The importance of regional and global cooperation in deep-sea protection is emphasized, as the ocean has no borders and affects all of us.

Q & A

What is Kick'em Jenny and why is it significant?

Kick'em Jenny is an active submarine volcano located approximately 8 kilometers north of Grenada. It is the only active submarine volcano in the Caribbean and has erupted 14 times since 1939. Its study is crucial for understanding underwater volcanic activity and its ecological impact.

What is unique about Kick'em Jenny compared to other volcanoes?

Kick'em Jenny is unique because it is an underwater volcano, with its summit located 180 meters below the sea. It is also the most active volcano in the Lesser Antilles arc and poses specific risks to surrounding communities due to its frequent eruptions.

How was Kick'em Jenny discovered?

Kick'em Jenny was discovered by accident in 1939 when a seismic event caused a significant eruption. However, at the time, there were no monitoring systems in place to record the eruption.

What was the role of the scientific cruise expeditions in studying Kick'em Jenny?

Scientific cruises, including those led by the exploration vessel Nautilus in 2013 and 2014, played a key role in studying Kick'em Jenny. These expeditions provided live data, images, and videos, helping researchers uncover new insights into the volcanic activity and deep-sea ecosystems surrounding the volcano.

What were some surprising discoveries made during the Nautilus expedition?

During the expedition, researchers discovered an entirely new ecosystem around Kick'em Jenny, driven by chemo-synthesis. They found creatures like giant tube worms and mussels, which thrive in this chemical-rich environment, supporting life despite the lack of sunlight.

How does the underwater ecosystem around Kick'em Jenny sustain itself?

The ecosystem around Kick'em Jenny is sustained by bacteria that perform chemo-synthesis, using chemical-rich fluids from the volcano. These bacteria form the base of the food web, supporting various organisms such as tube worms, shrimp, crabs, lobsters, fish, and octopuses.

What phenomenon related to marine biology was observed around Kick'em Jenny?

A phenomenon known as 'gigantism' was observed around Kick'em Jenny, where certain species, like tube worms and mussels, grew to extraordinary sizes. This gigantism is a characteristic of deep-sea biology, where organisms in extreme environments often grow much larger than their coastal counterparts.

Why is it important to have a detailed bathymetric map of Kick'em Jenny?

A detailed bathymetric map is essential for monitoring changes in the underwater volcano. It allows scientists to track the volcano's morphological development, understand its behavior, and detect any shifts that might indicate potential eruptions or other geological events.

What environmental threats are posed to the deep-sea ecosystems like that around Kick'em Jenny?

The deep-sea ecosystems around Kick'em Jenny are threatened by human activities such as climate change, ocean acidification, fishing, mining, and oil and gas extraction. These activities disrupt delicate marine environments and can lead to habitat degradation.

How does the concept of global stewardship relate to the protection of deep-sea ecosystems?

Global stewardship is essential for the protection of deep-sea ecosystems because the ocean is interconnected across regions and nations. Managing the deep-sea environment requires international cooperation and local education to ensure sustainable practices that protect these valuable ecosystems for future generations.