Marine research project to reveal secrets of the deep
Scientists involved in an EU-funded marine research project are to present the results of the first experiments conducted from the new GEOSTAR underwater observation unit. The project was backed up by a recent statement from Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin on the importance of technology in ocean exploration, particularly in the surveillance of fragile deep sea environments. The Grande Profondeur ('great deep') project was carried out in the Tyrrhenian sea off the Italian island of Ustica. Tests on earth movements, magnetic fields, gravity and other factors such as currents, water temperature and salinity were successfully carried out from the GEOSTAR (Geophysical and Oceanographic Station for Abyssal Research) observation and surveillance unit, stationed at a depth of 2000 metres below the sea for 206 days. A first analysis of data collected during the project shows unexpected temperature increases, which could have important repercussions for studies of temperature changes in the Mediterranean. The GEOSTAR unit is also being deployed as part of the European BioDeep project, which will study micro-organisms living in deep sea Mediterranean basins where salinity levels are over 30 per cent. It is hoped that a study of the bacteria found in such hostile environments will yield important information for biotechnology research. The GEOSTAR unit is being used to measure and obtain images of the underwater environment at a depth of over 3000 metres. Until now, one of the main obstacles facing deep sea researchers has been the limitations of underwater equipment and communication and the difficulty of constructing technology which can withstand a hostile underwater environment, including high pressure and corrosion. The EU-funded GEOSTAR unit is a breakthrough for long term marine observation. The station has been constructed with high-performance batteries which enable it to function at a depth of 4000 metres below the sea for at least a year. The station is also equipped with an advanced communication system which allows constant dialogue with the surface station, allowing the uninterrupted surveillance of experiments and the easy supply of data. It is hoped that GEOSTAR will form the basis for a future network of underwater observatories which will collect vital data and send it to land-based stations for use in scientific research and industrial development. A group of researchers involved in the development and installation of GEOSTAR will present the results of the Grande Profondeur and BioDeep projects at a press information day in Messina, Italy, on September 5 2001.