Pioneer carbonate systems: bridging offshore and on-land research on carbonate mounds

摘要: The COCARDE network roots in the unique momentum of collaborative PhD and postdoctoral research on mostly recent, largely ‘live ‘deep-water coral mounds, a momentum that developed in the past fifteen years within European research projects supported by the EC and ESF, and through coordinated national initiatives. The involved marine research built upon an exploratory strategy of integrated seabed and sub-seafloor imaging (from kilometric to sub-micron scale) and comprehensive 3D sampling including continuous drilling and logging. This was completed with a full environmental assessment (oceanic and sub-seafloor) and analytical characterization of key ecosystem components–from metazoan to microbial–as well as of their functional relationships and products. This momentum logically led to a curiosity-driven march into the world of “the mounds of the past”, and a most stimulating and productive …