Despite more than a century of research, most of the deep sea remains a mystery. But oceanographer John Delaney at the University of Washington has a plan to change that. "We need a permanent presence in the ocean," he says. "But with the technology we're currently using – satellites, ships, submersibles – it's like trying to do particle physics without an accelerator." The approach, dubbed the Neptune Project, would string 10 semiautomated geobiological labs across the Juan de Fuca tectonic plate off Washington, 8,000 feet underwater. Each would have cameras, lights, robots, and sensors, all connected to the surface via optical cable to transmit data on everything from the biomass of microbes to the effects of ocean temperature on weather. It might actually happen: Researchers at British Columbia's University of Victoria are scheduled to begin building their 500-mile segment in 2007, and this fall US researchers are hoping for a $150 million grant to fund another 900 miles. Dive in and take a look.
– Doug Merlino
1. Sonar imagers measure the heat output of "black smokers," hydrothermal vents that can reach 700 degrees.2. Hi-def cameras send images to the surface during volcanic eruptions.3. Seafloor rovers take samples and reposition instruments. 4. Seismometers and strain meters continuously monitor tectonic plate movement. 5. Incubators in holes about a mile deep collect data on microbes.6. A single cable supplies up to 100 kW of power and a 10-Gbyte-per-second Internet connection.7. The central control system regulates lights and other instruments.8. A self-propelled lab collects gases from black smokers to learn what the microorganisms that live inside them feed on.9. Sensors along the cable to the surface check temperature, nutrients, and the movement of sea creatures.10. Robots recharge power supplies, download data, collect samples, and take photographs.
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