Marine Technology Reporter Blogs - aberdeen

HADEEP (Hadal Environment and Educational Program) is a collaborative project based at the University of Aberdeen’s Oceanlab. The HADEEP 4 expedition was funded by the Total Foundation. This project, entitled “Trench Connection” is supporting this trip. HADEEP 2 to 4 has been a partnership between Oceanlab and NIWA in New Zealand. For the first time, researchers have taken a look at the life that thrives in one of the deepest spots in the ocean. They investigated the New Hebrides Trench, located just West of Vanuatu, and revealed that cusk eels and crustaceans teem more than 7,000m (23,000ft) down. They used cameras fitted on an unmanned lander to film the deep-sea creatures.

After the Kursk exploded and sank in 2000, the Russian Admiralty recognized that they did not have an efficient system for rescuing stranded submariners. Some western submarine specialists went as far as claiming that such a system did not exist because the Russian Navy cared more about saving face than saving any crews that were eventually stranded. It is quite probable that such a system was not developed earlier due to the dire financial situation faced by Russia. The fact is that it has been 13 years since the Kursk tragedy, but Russia will now be able to deploy a modern, safe and efficient saturation diving rescue system, through its agreement with Divex, who have built 100 major saturation diving systems since 1974.