Vulnerable Marine Ecosystem detected via ROV at Cuverville Island, Western Antarctic Peninsula (Subarea 48.1)

A VME is proposed herein based on high abundances of VME indicator taxa that fall within the range of previously registered VMEs. The site is off the east coast of Cuverville Island, Errera Channel, Western Antarctic Peninsula. Video imagery was taken via ROV deployed by M/Y Legend. Data on the relative percent cover of all VME indicator taxa was sourced and analysed in the same manner as VMEs added to CCAMLR’s registry in 2018 (SCCCAMLR-XXXVII), 2022 (SC-CCAMLR-41) and 2024 (SC-CCAMLR-44) using all data from WG-EMM-18/35, WG-EMM-22/34Rev1, WG-EMM-22/46Rev1 and WG-EMM-24/48Rev1 for a direct comparison. The present site clusters well with previously registered VMEs. This impressive wall and steep slope supports a great diversity of demosponge species and hard bryozoans that form extremely fragile reef-like structures. At shallow depths, a kelp forest hangs from the wall; an important contributor to the Southern Ocean’s blue carbon storage potential