Scientists head to explore mysterious 425-feet deep 'blue hole' near Florida

Sinkholes are terrifying and y are t just confined to land as a similar phemen takes place in ocean, creating mysterious ‘blue holes’. In a bid to discover what lies at bottom of such holes, scientists are all set to embark on a fascinating journey to explore and uncover secrets of ‘Green Banana Hole’ which is situated on continental shelf off coast of Florida. As part of ongoing three-year research project, scientists aim to discover what kind of creatures can survive at bottom of blue hole. 

Green Banana Expedition is sponsored by US National Oceagraphic and Atmospheric Association (AA) and project will comprise researchers from Mote Marine Laboratory, Florida Atlantic University, Georgia Institute of Techlogy, and US Geological Society. According to official website of AA, mission will deploy divers and monitoring equipment into Green Banana, which open up 47 metres below sea surface, extending to a depth of about 130 meters. 

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scientists will be testing nutrient levels of water as well as examining microbes y come across. Furr, research team will also be assessing wher sinkhole is somehow connected to Florida’s groundwater system adjacent t Gulf of Mexico. 

AA explained, “Blue holes are diverse biological communities full of marine life, including corals, sponges, mollusks, sea turtles, sharks, and more. seawater chemistry in holes is unique and appears to interact with groundwater and possibly aquifer layers. This link contributes to kwledge of carbon cycling between surface and groundwater”. 

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It was ted that last year divers went down ar similar but smaller hole called Amberjack hole, which is also off coast of Florida. While previous expedition revealed remains of two endangered small tooth sawfish, this times, researchers are excited and curious about what y’ll find. From searching for new life and rare existent life, researchers also hope to answer questions about wher blue holes help provide nutrients and wher re is unkwn microbe lurking down inside hole. 

Amberjack Hole expedition 

According to AA, samples recovered at Amberjack Hole have shown large amounts of dissolved irganic carbon in water, which researchers say contributes to carbon cycle, possibly as a food source for microbial populations. scientists had ted re were signs of nutrient flux travelling urd in sinkhole, meaning that some food source could eventually emerge from blue hole, even while or creatures slowly sink to bottom. Furrmore, last year’s dive also isolated signals of groundwater in blue hole, finding isotopes of radium and radon, which suggested that re could be an underwater connection linking Floridan Aquifer to Gulf of Mexico. 

(Ims: AA/Website) 

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