The $ 332,000 observatory disappears on the bottom of the Baltic Sea

Researchers are confused by the trace-free disappearance of the 740kg observatory in the Baltic Sea.

The frame of the underwater observatory before installation.(Photo: Fox News).

The observatory is located in a restricted area at the entrance to the Eckernförde Bay off the coast of Germany for the last time on August 21. Installed by GEOMAR and HZG in December 2016, the observatory includes two tracking racks with a total weight of 740kg. A large cable line connects the device to the mainland.

"We initially assumed there was a transmission error," said GEOMAR professor Hermann Bange. "When the divers swam down to the observation deck at the bottom of the sea last week, they found only the broken cable. The cable was cut into pieces."

The remaining optical cable segment was found by divers.(Photo: Fox News).

Experts were unable to locate the lost device and were forced to ask residents in nearby coastal areas for more information. " Maybe someone will come across something unusual on the morning of August 21, or someone will find parts of the frame on the beach," Bange said. Local police are also participating in the search for the missing observatory.

According to Bange, the observatory is valued at $ 332,000 and provides invaluable scientific data on changes in the Baltic Sea. Bange and his colleagues are trying to find the observatory and operate as soon as possible.