Today, iAtlantic released its new film Deep-Sea Science: On Board a Research Expedition, transporting viewers into the lives of at-sea researchers, and providing never-before-seen glimpses into the complexities of scientific expeditions to the deep sea.
A 5-minute-version, below, offers a quick rundown of the history and importance of research expeditions, as well as insights into life onboard a vessel; a longer, 15-minute version provides deeper information on the history of ocean-going research expeditions (back to the days of the HMS Challenger expedition), details the challenges, quirks, and intricacies of running a contemporary research mission, and shows some of the extraordinary video footage collected by scientists studying the deep ocean.
“Deep ocean expeditions bring people together across nations to work on the shared challenge of understanding our world, its changing climate, and the impact of all who live there,” says narrator and iAtlantic project coordinator Prof. Murray Roberts. “When we harness our curiosity and humanity, there is no limit to what we can achieve to understand and protect the miraculous hidden world of our oceans.”
In the video, viewers find themselves inside research vessels, visiting the crew quarters, kitchens, and – of course – laboratory facilities, as these vessels head towards some of the world’s most remote locations. Viewers will also learn about the types of equipment used by researchers at sea; the unique demands placed on scientists, institutions, and countries (from enormous financial burdens to the difficulty of keeping food fresh at sea); and the enormous amounts of planning that go into creating contingencies for weather, technology malfunctions, crew illness, and more. Finally, the video includes never-before-seen footage of abyssal animals , giving viewers a unique glimpse into the environments studied by iAtlantic.
“These endeavours united people across the globe in a shared mission to understand and protect our rapidly changing world,” Roberts’ narration concludes.
The film will premiere at the UN Ocean Decade Conference in Barcelona, Spain on 11 April 2024. Following its launch, the film will be used at Edinburgh’s Dynamic Earth science centre to educate viewers about the history of deep-sea exploration and the challenges and opportunities of modern expeditions to the deep.
Watch the 5-minute video below, and head over to the iAtlantic YouTube Channel to watch the 15-minute version!
