Mar-Eco Project

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Mar-Eco Project
MAR-ECO is an international research project in
which scientists from 16 nations take part. The
ship G.O.Sars (left) went on an expedition along
the north Atlantic ridge from Iceland to the
Azores as shown below.
Exploring life in the mid-Atlantic at various
depths down to 4 km (2.5 miles), 60 scientists
from 13 countries found lots of information on
marine life including species which are believed
to have never been known to science before. Here
is a selection of their findings
Zooplankton are tiny organisms which live in the
sea, they eat algae and produce high density
pellets which sink to the bottom faster than the
algae do, so are an important link in the food
chain. Without them the larger fish lower down in
the ocean would not get food as fast. There were
many types found on the cruise, right are some
examples.
The group of animals known as cephalopods include
squids and cuttlefish. They have large heads and
tentacles with suckers or hooks. Their lifespan
is approximately 2 years. During the cruise there
were new types of cephalopods discovered as well
as great footage of them in their natural
environment.
Rachael Davies, Matthew Smedley and Hazel
Galbraith, Ellon Academy, Scotland