PRESSURISED: 030 - Seamounts with Ashley Rowden

Our short and to the point PRESSURISED version of episode 30. If you don't have time for the full episode and want to get right to the science without any of our waffle, this is the place to be!

Read the show notes and find the full episode here: www.armatusoceanic.com/podcast/030-seamounts

We’ve been off-piste for a while now so we thought we’d jump straight back into the deep sea with a series of episodes on deep-sea habitats. We’re starting off strong with a huge episode on seamounts! We speak to a friend of the show, Ashley Rowden who’s an expert in all-things benthic and we find out why seamounts are just so cool. 

We get to hear from Don as he recalls his experiences of "crossing the line", a tradition deep-rooted in the maritime industry. 

We have huge news! You’ll be very excited to hear that we have released a new design for our merch, featuring our favourite parasite - the tongue-eating isopod, Cymothoa exigua! A perfect gift this holiday season for the whole family. Check out our podcast merch here! Which now includes Alan’s beloved apron.

Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or your own tales from the high seas on:

[email protected]

We’d love to actually play your voice so feel free to record a short audio note!

We are also on

Twitter: @DeepSeaPod, @ArmatusO

Facebook: DeepSeaPodcast, ArmatusOceanic

Instagram: @deepsea_podcast, @armatusoceanic

• Albatross - a very large white oceanic bird


• Baikal - The world's deepest lake (1642 m deep), based in Siberia


• Guyots - Flat-topped underwater mountains


• Knoll - Less than 1000m underwater mountain


• Manganese nodules - Potato-sized clumps of metals (mostly manganese and iron) found on the sea floor. These metals are used in the production of batteries


• Orange roughy - (Hoplostethus atlanticus) A deep-sea fish which was famously historically overfished


• Productivity - The rate of growth of a habitat, usually referring to biomass


• Satellite altimeters - equipment which measures altitude or surface topography via satellite


• Seamount - An underwater mountain which ascends more than 1000m


• Sedimentation - The process of sediment sinking and then building up at the bottom of the water column


• Seismic - Activity related to volcanoes or earthquakes

Deep-sea mining is mentioned at COP27

3000 tonnes of polymetallic nodules are taken from the deep by deep-sea mining company

Ashley’s paper on seamount ecology

Clarke & Dunn (2012) paper on the sustainable management of seamount fisheries

Clark et al (2013) article on future priorities for seamount research.

Dunn & Forman (2011) orange roughy distribution

Hubbs’ 1959 iconic article on seamounts.

Global seamounts project - an initiative that’s exploring seamounts

Theme – Hadal Zone Express by Märvel

Logo image - The Deep-Sea Podcast: PRESSURISED