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World first - scientific video underwater observatory
Media release. 15th September 2009
First underwater video observatory for science
The first life-streamed video underwater video observatory for scientific research has been created in a fjord on the west coast of Sweden. Scientists at the University of Gothenburg, Maritime Museum & Aquarium Gothenburg, Scottish Association for Marine Science, OceanLab Aberdeen, Bangor University and The Natural History Museum, London have developed a permanent window into the undersea world, allowing both researchers and the public alike continuous observation of the natural processes ongoing in the marine environment.
The camera system is currently deployed at a permanently cabled observatory 'node' sited at the Sven Loven Centre for Marine Sciences at Kristineberg, Sweden. The camera is being streamed live onto the internet and used for experimental studies by scientists.
At the Natural History Museum, London, researcher Dr Adrian Glover has been demonstrating the underwater observatory during the launch event for the Darwin Centre, a new gallery, science and collections facility at their South Kensington site. At the official opening on 14th September, guests including His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales and Sir David Attenborough were shown the live link to the fjord in Sweden and how contnuous data from the marine environment is a crucial advantage that will allow us a better understanding of how marine ecosystems work.
'Even something simple like the decomposition of a small whale in shallow water is very poorly known' says Adrian Glover. 'Until now we had to make do with 'one-off' visits using submersibles, remotely operated-vehicles or scuba divers'. The new observatory allows continuous observation and archiving of data, which is accessible from anywhere in the world. Understanding processes occurring over time with experiments like the whale carcass can provide clues as to how marine ecosystems respond to environmental perturbations, such as oil spill.
The underwater video observatory consists of a live camera and instruments mounted on a frame, currently sited at approximately 30m water depth. The data is sent back and forth using cables to a 'node' on a nearby island, which is powered and linked to the internet using fibre-optic cables. The experiments conducted so far include the study of the scavenging community behaviour on the remains of a dead whale, lobster-crab interactions in a lobster pot, and fish behaviour.
'The oceans are the last blank spots on the map' says University of Gothenburg researcher Dr Thomas Dahlgren. 'Even in areas as well known as the Skagerrak we constantly find species that are new to science'. Drs Dahlgren and Glover recently discovered a new species of the enigmatic 'bone-eating' worm, Osedax, and are hoping to observe the colonisation of the species in real-time using the new observatory system.
Dr Kim Last from the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) said: ‘Continuous data from the marine environment is a crucial advance that will provide a better understanding of how marine ecosystems function.'
‘We are currently developing marine observatory technology to empower the general public to collect scientific data. People watching real-time underwater footage from our observatories will be able to make a significant contribution to marine biology by recording what they see, be it fish biting behaviour or crab scuttling sequences!’
Scientists around the world are now working to install observatories in deep water, using new and spare fibre-optic cable laid down by telecom companies. A Europe-wide network, 'ESONET' has been set up to enable EU-based researchers access to these facilities. Until now we have been limited in our understanding of the marine environment by our inability to perceive it. Rapid technological advances in cabling, underwater instrumentation and observatories are set to change our understanding of marine ecosystems.
Contacts
UK:
Dr Adrian Glover E: a.glover@nhm.ac.uk T: 020 7942 5056
Dr Kim Last E: kim.last@sams.ac.uk T: 01631 559414
Sweden:
Dr Bjoern Kallstroem E: Bjorn.Kallstrom@kultur.goteborg.se T: +46 70 947 98 42
Prof Rutger Rosenberg E: Rutger.Rosenberg@marecol.gu.se
Dr Thomas Dahlgren E: thomas.dahlgren@zool.gu.se
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