Cape Canyon Exploration (2) ✕
Benthic invertebrate presence data, in and around the Cape Canyon (Southern Benguela Upwelling region)
Canyon research is still an emergent field in South Africa and the true potential of canyons as biodiversity hotspots has seldom been studied in an integrated context. In response to this, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment: Oceans and Coasts collected benthic data to better understand benthic species profiles within and around the Cape Canyon. This equated to 39 stations (whereby 13 were canyon and 26 non-canyon) and yielded 180 species.
Averaged bottom temperature and dissolved oxygen in and around the Cape Canyon
Submarine canyons are internationally reported to enhance upwelling and heterogeneity. However, in South Africa such studies remain limited and thus a knowledge gap in regional submarine canyon dynamics still exists. To address this gap, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment: Oceans and Coasts initiated a multi-disciplinary expedition onboard the RV Algoa (March 2016-2018) where oceanographic data, amongst other datasets, was collected within a 5x5 nautical mile distance....