General Description and Scientific Significance

The FIP Seamounts Expedition, conducted in September 2015 aboard the Chilean research vessel Abate Molina, was part of the FIP 2014-04-2 project, "Phase II: Oceanographic Survey to Establish the Baseline for Juan Fernández Seamounts 5 (JF5), Juan Fernández Seamount 6 (JF6), and O'Higgins Seamount." The expedition aimed to characterize the oceanographic, physical, chemical, and biological conditions of these seamounts, generating a comprehensive baseline to better understand the structure and functioning of these ecosystems in the Southeastern Pacific Ocean. To achieve this objective, the expedition carried out hydrographic measurements, biological sampling, and analyses of biogeochemical and oceanographic variables, contributing to the scientific understanding of vulnerable, highly biodiverse marine ecosystems. Participation by the Millennium Institute of Oceanography (IMO) strengthened the Institute's capabilities in open-ocean research and established its first scientific collaborations in large-scale multidisciplinary oceanographic expeditions.

Scientific Objectives

• Characterize the oceanographic conditions of Juan Fernández Seamount 5 (JF5), Juan Fernández Seamount 6 (JF6), and O'Higgins Seamount.
• Establish a physical, chemical, and biological baseline for these deep-sea ecosystems. 
• Investigate the structure of the water column through temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and fluorescence profiles. 
• Characterize the distribution of phytoplankton, zooplankton, and nutrients around the seamounts. 
• Analyze mesoscale oceanographic processes influencing seamount ecosystems. 

Onboard Technology

• Abate Molina research vessel (IFOP).
• Sea-Bird SBE 19 Plus CTDO profiler for measurements of temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and fluorescence. 
• CTD-Rosette system for water sampling. 
• Multibeam echosounder for bathymetric surveys. 
• Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) for current measurements. 
• Plankton nets for biological sampling. 
• Instrumentation for physical, chemical, and biological analyses of the water column. 

Participating Institutions

• Millennium Institute of Oceanography (IMO) 
• Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso (PUCV) 
• Instituto de Fomento Pesquero (IFOP) 
• Fondo de Investigación Pesquera y de Acuicultura (FIPA) 
• Subsecretaría de Pesca y Acuicultura (SUBPESCA)