Ocean Technology Home

Project Manager

Lee Frey

Project Team

• Justin Marshall (University of Queensland)
• Edith Widder (ORCA)
• Kathy Russ
• Mike Young
• Jack Yager

Project Description

The RI Lab at Harbor Branch is working with Australian scientists to develop novel tools and instruments for the first ever deep submergence exploration of the waters around Australia, including the Great Barrier Reef.  This project is funded by the University of Queensland.

Intellectual Merit

The waters surrounding the Australian continent and the South Pacific archipelago are among some of the most rich and biodiverse in the world.  They are also some of the most unexplored.  In a bold new initiative between the Australian Research Council, the University of Queensland, and Deep Ocean Quest, LLC, these waters will be extensively explored, some for the first time ever.  The potential for new discoveries is overwhelming.

Called “Deep Ocean Australia”, the project will encompass over 3 years of research and exploration, effectively circumnavigating the continent.  Engineers from HBOI are designing new collection tools and sensors to explore this vast wilderness.  The first of these is a new type of computer-controlled trawl net system, which will allow scientists to capture mid-water animals down to 2000m deep. 

The system is deployed in a closed position and is opened when the desired depth is reached, either by an operator at the surface, or by a small onboard controller.  The net remains open, collecting animals in a light-tight insulated trap, called a closing cod-end.  Once the trawl is complete, the net closes, and also triggers the trap to close.  Animals are then recovered alive and in good condition, having been kept cold and in the dark, for scientists to classify and study.

The second device is a series of autonomous video observatories for recording deep-sea life.  Stay tuned for more information.

Broader Impacts

Exploration of the waters off Australia represents more than just discovering what lies beneath the waves "down under."  These waters are changing rapidly, and in unpredictable ways, due to human impacts. It is important that we document what our oceans contain, while we still have time. Better understanding these waters will help us to better understand the causes of changes in our own backyard.