Successful Proof of Concept for Sustainable Seabed Mining of Critical Minerals with Eureka 1 AUV
Impossible Metals is on a mission to harvest and process critical battery metals from the seabed while protecting the environment. Our prototype vehicle, the Eureka 1 is a new class of Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), and it has successfully picked up rocks and brought them to the surface: a key milestone in our development pathway.
Current prototypes developed to harvest nodules are based on dredging technology.
We believe that our Autonomous Vehicle is not only better for the environment, by preventing the loss of biodiversity, but also more economical.
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Pêtr Aleksänder - A Walk On The Seabed (Official Video)
Pêtr Aleksänder - A Walk On The Seabed (Official Video)
excerpts from 'UNDER' by Martina Amati
Seabed Scouring
Laurie McCaughan of Norfolk Marine Ltd talks about seabed scouring around Marine Structures
Deep seabed mining – a new threat to ocean health
We must say no to deep seabed mining, or we are in deep trouble.
Please support WWF in calling for a moratorium on deep seabed mining.
Diver uncovers ancient crusader sword from Israeli seabed
A sword believed to have belonged to a crusader who sailed to the Holy Land almost a millennium ago has been recovered from the Mediterranean seabed thanks to a sharp-eyed amateur diver. Though encrusted with marine organisms, the metre-long blade, hilt and handle became noticeable after undercurrents apparently shifted sands that had concealed it. The location, a natural cove near the port city of Haifa, suggested it had served as a shelter for seafarers, said Yaakov Sharvit, director of the authority's marine archaeology unit. The sword, believed to be about 900 years old, will be put on display after it is cleaned and restored
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Untangled: Deep seabed mining
The deep sea: it’s home to fascinating creatures and stores carbon to help keep our #climate in balance. But some companies see only 💰💰💰. We have to #DefendTheDeep from seabed mining.
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Seabed Sediment Core Extraction Animation
This movie demonstrates how a sample of seabed sediment core can be extracted by lowering from a ship a vibrocorer to the seabed. This particular animation demonstrates GeoCorer 6000 being lowered from Ireland's Marine Institute vessel, the Celtic Explorer. This animation was funded by Titanic Belfast's Ocean Exploration Centre, and forms part of their seabed simulation display, open to the public
Seabed Warfare demonstration by iXblue DRiX USV and ECA Group A18D AUV
During the Euronaval 2022 press trip, French companies iXblue and ECA Group conducted a seabed warfare demonstration involving their DRiX unmanned surface vessel (USV) and A18D autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV).
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About 25% of oceans have been mapped till date: SEABED 2030
Nearly a quarter of the Earth’s ocean floor has now been mapped, bringing global leaders and scientists closer to having a definite map of the planet’s largest ecosystem. Seabed 2030, an alliance between Japan’s Nippon Foundation and the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO), announced at the recent UN Ocean Conference that it has covered 23.4 per cent of the ocean floor on a bathymetric grid at a relatively high resolution.
Bathymetric grids are a measure of the depth of water bodies. Seabed 2030 said it has added 10 million square kilometres–roughly the size of Europe–to its grid in the last year. It did this through a collaborative ‘map the gap’ strategy.
How is ocean mapping done?
Ocean mapping is usually done using SONAR equipment attached to ships traversing the world’s oceans. Satellites, which are typically used for land mapping, can also be used for ocean floor mapping. But satellites use radar and light which gets weak in water. Hence, using satellites for ocean mapping becomes difficult.
Seabed 2030 is now encouraging other ships, big or small, venturing into the oceans to turn on their sonar systems and share the data they collect. This will help save time and costs, and expedite the mapping process.
Why is ocean mapping crucial?
Ocean mapping can help clarify deep-sea processes and how they are impacted by different phenomena. More than 70% of the earth’s surface is covered with oceans, but we have very little information about the sea-bed and its topography.
Mapping helps here, by indicating the movement of ocean currents, debris and water pollution. Scientists would also be able to understand the rate at which the ice sheets in Antarctica or Greenland are melting due to the warming climate. Apart from this, the mapping will also help in better knowledge about the habitats of marine organisms and understanding fisheries management.
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KONGSBERG is mapping debris on the seabed (English subtitles)
Technology from KONGSBERG is set to make it easier to detect abandoned lobster traps, wrecks and other scrap on the seafloor.
Huge icefish colony of 60 million nests found on Antarctic seabed
Researchers exploring Antarctica’s seabed have discovered a thriving, unprecedented colony of icefish 'about a third of the size of London'. 'We expected to see the normal Antarctic seafloor … [but] during the first four hours of our dive, we saw nothing but fish nests,' said Autun Purser, of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Germany, and lead author ofthe study published in Current Biology.
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The impact of Anchor Damage on the seabed
Impact caused by anchors on seagrass beds - Formentera (Spain)