- published: 11 Apr 2012
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A seamount is a mountain rising from the ocean seafloor that does not reach to the water's surface (sea level), and thus is not an island. These are typically formed from extinct volcanoes, that rise abruptly and are usually found rising from the seafloor to 1,000-4,000 metres (3,000-13,000 ft) in height. They are defined by oceanographers as independent features that rise to at least 1,000 metres (3,281 ft) above the seafloor. The peaks are often found hundreds to thousands of metres below the surface, and are therefore considered to be within the deep sea. There are an estimated 100,000 seamounts across the globe, with only a few having been studied. Seamounts come in all shapes and sizes, and follow a distinctive pattern of growth, activity, and death. In recent years, several active seamounts have been observed, for example Loihi in the Hawaiian Islands.
Because of their abundance, seamounts are one of the most common oceanic ecosystems in the world. Interactions between seamounts and underwater currents, as well as their elevated position in the water, attract plankton, corals, fish, and marine mammals alike. Their aggregational effect has been noted by the commercial fishing industry, and many seamounts support extensive fisheries. There are ongoing concerns on the negative impact of fishing on seamount ecosystems, and well-documented cases of stock decline, for example with the orange roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus). 95% of ecological damage is done by bottom trawling, which literally scrapes whole ecosystems off seamounts.
Sea Mounts
Seamount - Bulletproof
Seamount - Gettin Through
Axial Seamount Underwater Volcano Erupting Off Oregon
Davidson Seamount: The Biology of an Underwater Mountain
Seamount - Kiss The Skull
Swarming red crabs at Hannibal Bank Seamount
VOLCANO ERUPTS off OREGON - 8 ft Sea Floor Drop at AXIAL SEAMOUNT.
Seamount - "Surrender"
Seamount - The Ancient
Seamount - Echoes
Seamount, Guyot, Atoll
Thousands of sharks visit a sea mount - Blue Planet: A Natural History of the Oceans - BBC
seamount - Sacrifice