Photos of various bacterial mats encountered during Student Explorations Around Southern California: Acoustics, Paleolandscapes, and Environments at Sea remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dives 1.86 to 2.17 miles north of Anacapa Island. Red dots in the images are 20 centimeters (7.87 inches) apart. Images A and B are areas with thick (several centimeter) bacterial coverage, some dark seafloor staining (interpreted to be sulfate staining), and minimal/early carbonate development. Images C and D are areas with 1- to 2-meter (3.28- to 6.56-foot)-wide bacterial mats with low to moderate relief carbonates. Active carbonate formation is shown in Image E. Image F has abundant moderate- to high-relief carbonates that are representative of typical authigenic carbonates with small (less than 20 centimeter) patchy bacterial mats. Images A-D and F are from ROV Dive 3. Image E is from ROV Dive 8.
Various Bacterial Mats
Image from SEASCAPES remotely operated vehicle footage; edited by Roslynn King.
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Photos of various bacterial mats encountered during Student Explorations Around Southern California: Acoustics, Paleolandscapes, and Environments at Sea remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dives 1.86 to 2.17 miles north of Anacapa Island. Red dots in the images are 20 centimeters (7.87 inches) apart. Images A and B are areas with thick (several centimeter) bacterial coverage, some dark seafloor staining (interpreted to be sulfate staining), and minimal/early carbonate development. Images C and D are areas with 1- to 2-meter (3.28- to 6.56-foot)-wide bacterial mats with low to moderate relief carbonates. Active carbonate formation is shown in Image E. Image F has abundant moderate- to high-relief carbonates that are representative of typical authigenic carbonates with small (less than 20 centimeter) patchy bacterial mats. Images A-D and F are from ROV Dive 3. Image E is from ROV Dive 8.

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