Into the Abyss

Deep Sea Exploration

Kellen Osbourn

SCM 330 MWF 8:00-9:00am

Deep Sea Exploration

• Why should we care about what’s at the bottom of the ocean?

• Brief history lesson on the origins of deep sea exploration

• Where we are now (Submersibles)

• Where are we headed?

Why Study the Deep Sea?

• We live on a “water” planet• <70% of Earth’s surface is

covered by water, 60% is covered by water more than 1 mile in depth

• Deep sea is the largest habitat on Earth

• A large area of the deep sea is unexplored

History of Deep Sea Exploration

• Investigation of physical, chemical, and biological conditions on the seafloor

• 1872 HMS Challenger expedition launched, more than 4000 new species discovered over 4 years

• Used dredges, scoops, and sounding machines to conduct research

Where are we now?

• Major advancements in deep sea exploration since beginning of 20th century

• One invention with the biggest impact is the underwater vehicle or submersible

• Come in two flavors – ROV and AUV

Submersibles

Remotely Operated VehiclesROVs

• Small unmanned submersible that are attached by a tether to a control center on a ship

• Made with large flotation pack on top of a steel framework, to provide buoyancy

• All are equipped with lights and a camera, some even have instruments that measure water clarity, light penetration and temperature

• Used widely in the oil industry as well as for science purposes

Autonomous Underwater VehiclesAUVs

• Powered by batteries or fuel cells • Can be either manned or unmanned• Used as a platform for scientific sensors and

can operate at depths and over distances that are impossible for the human diver

• Manned submersibles gives scientists

in-situ access to various ocean depths

Where are we headed?

• Many important discoveries made with help of submersibles (e.g. Titanic, hydrothermal vents)

• Lots of questions that need to be answered

• On the verge of another huge breakthrough in the field of oceanography

Thank You