Deep seabed laboratory

While in August, many people rushed to vacation at the beaches, French, European and North American researchers will look to the bottom of the ocean to learn about the geology and biology of

Deep seabed laboratory
(Photo: sciences.nouvelobs.com)

hydrothermal species.The two ocean campaigns called Graviluck and MoMARETO led by IFREMER, CNRS and INSU institutes will be launched in early August. The main objective of these campaigns is to place an undersea laboratory in the region. south of the islands of the Acores.

The ocean backbones are ranges of volcanoes where cold sea water encounters rich heavy metals or hydrogen sulfur. At these points, ecosystems are never known, with populations of bacteria, crustaceans, molluscs and fish.

The MoMARETO campaign specializes in the study of the biology of hydrothermal species, while the Graviluck campaign measures the vertical movements of the ocean floor. The researchers' aim is the volcano under the Lucky Strike sea that lies on the spine in the southern archipelago of the Acores. This will be the place for the deep-sea laboratory within the framework of the international project MoMAR.

Scientific instruments will be placed at the bottom or near the ocean floor to collect geological, biological and chemical data. After preparation studies, the observatory installation will begin this year.