3D computer image of Nazare
Canyon, off the coast of Portugal
ISIS - a van-sized bundle of high-technology -
has allowed researchers for the first time able to view previously
hidden features up to 5km (three miles) deep in the Nazare Canyon.
The canyon extends out into the eastern Atlantic
from the seaside town of Nazare, north of Lisbon.
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The robot is operated from the UK's new research
vessel, RRS James Cook (RRS stands for Royal Research
Ship) |
ISIS is winched over the side and lowered into the waves.
It is often said that we know more about the surface of the moon
than about the deep reaches of the ocean. This machine is now
changing that.
Ugly it may be - but it is packed with the latest technology.
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In the control room, a team manoeuvres the robot
down into the dark; the high-definition cameras captured sights
no one expected.
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One of the first sights on the way down is a shoal
of scabbard fish. |
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At a depth of 3,600m (12,000ft) the shape of
a shark appears (middle of picture) - which really surprises the
scientists. Usually sharks are never found deeper than 3,000m (1,000ft).
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According to the lead scientist, Professor Doug
Masson of the National Oceanography Centre, the scientific community
had been divided on whether a canyon this deep would be a biological
hotspot or an underwater desert. In fact, he says: "It's a
mixture of both - some areas like the walls are as active as a coral
reef, while others are dominated by sand dunes with no signs of
life." |
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And this undersea landscape is far more active than thought - giant
boulders litter part of the sea-floor after being transported dozens
of kilometres from the coast.
The team's next mission? The Whittard Canyon, another
deep submarine valley, this time off the coast of Ireland.
As Professor Masson puts it, less than 5% of the
world's sea-bed has been surveyed with modern technology - so this
project is just a start. |
