Seamount Life Cycle Seamounts have a four-stage pattern of growth, activity, and death. Stage one is eruption. A volcano erupts through the seafloor. Next comes the build-up stage. Te volcano spits out magma. Some seamounts grow so rapidly, they breach the ocean’s surface. Tey become islands. Stage three is erosion. If a seamount is


above the water line, wind and rain grind it down over time. Below the surface, landslides and ocean currents create wear and tear, too. Finally, in stage four, the ground beneath the seamount cools. Te seamount becomes denser and slowly begins to sink.


Food Chains Seamounts attract living things. Many organisms live on and around them. Scientists are taking note of seamounts for their biodiversity. A seamount’s height changes ocean


currents. Its slopes force water up its sides. Water moves faster around seamounts than in the open ocean. Tis stirring action causes plankton


populations to expand. Tat brings food to corals. Fish species that feed on plankton become more and more numerous. All of this activity attracts predators like


tuna, sharks, and even marine mammals such as seals and whales.


anemone shrimp


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