ROV KIEL 6000 successfully completed 250th dive
GEOMAR robot supports the exploration of deep-sea sponges
20 February 2017 / Kiel, Auckland. Extremely high pressure, no air, low temperatures - the deep sea is as hostile for humans as space. Anyone who wants to explore it needs complex technology. A proven tool of German deep-sea research is the remotely operated vehicle ROV KIEL 6000 of the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel. Yesterday the vehicle successfully completed its 250th dive from the German research vessel SONNE off New Zealand. “The ROV worked smoothly and was very reliable. We were able to obtain numerous samples from the seabed during the dive”, reports Dr. Friedrich Abegg, head of the GEOMAR ROV team.
The current expedition, which goes under the code-name SO254, is directed by Prof. Dr. Meinhard Simon of the Institute for Biology and Chemistry of the Sea of the Oldenburg University. The aim of the cruise is to better understand the biodiversity of bacteria in the water column and of sponges on the seafloor. Bacteria and microorganisms on sponges produce a wide range of natural products, but these have rarely been studied in deep-sea species. They may provide the basis for new drugs and other applications.
The expedition brought ROV KIEL 6000 and its team back to familiar waters. In 2007, the ROV operated in the same area during its first sea trial. “Three members of the team who were at sea in 2007 are also present during this current trip. This is a special experience for all of us,” writes Dr. Abegg. At the same time, he thanked the crew of the RV SONNE and the scientists on board for the good cooperation: “At sea everything is teamwork. And we are delighted if we can contribute to new discoveries”.
Links:
detailed informationen about ROV KIEL 6000 on geomar.de
Press release by the Oldenburg University about cruise SO254
