description Michelson Guyot Overview
A flat-topped submarine mountain in the North Atlantic Ocean, named after the survey ship USNS Michelson and notable for its significant deep-sea biological and geological habitats.
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What is Michelson Guyot?
Michelson Guyot is a flat-topped submarine mountain, or guyot, in the North Atlantic Ocean. Its flat summit is the geological clue that it is an eroded seamount that later subsided below sea level.
Why is it called Michelson Guyot?
The name honors USNS Michelson, an oceanographic survey ship of the United States Navy. USNS Michelson carried out Atlantic oceanographic survey work after entering service as AGS-23 in 1958.
What makes guyots important to marine biology?
A guyot's slopes and summit create hard surfaces and current patterns that can support corals, sponges, fish, and other deep-sea organisms. NOAA describes seamounts as biological oases, with species and biomass often higher than on flat seafloor.
Was USNS Michelson a research vessel or a warship?
It was a Navy-operated oceanographic survey ship rather than a frontline combatant. The vessel collected hydrographic, magnetic, and bathymetric data in the Atlantic and elsewhere before being taken out of service in 1975.
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