MISSION TO REVEAL UNDISCOVERED LIFE IN THE ARCTIC DEPTHS - NEWSROOM

Summary

With only 1,100 species currently described from the Arctic Ocean, Ocean Census Arctic Deep is exploring a series of hydrothermal vent fields, carbon seeps, seamounts and deep-sea ridges to discover new life.

Story:

The RV (Research Vessel) Kronprins Haakon is one of the most capable polar science research vessels in the world. The 100m ship was custom-built for the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research for science-led expeditions to extreme environments.

SOUNDBITE - Vidar Helgesen, Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO and Assistant Director-General of UNESCO: "There is much we don't know about the ocean. It's not something people relate to much in their daily lives. We don't live in the ocean. But what we do know is that the ocean is changing very fast. And where you're going now on the expedition is a part of the world that is changing much faster than the global average."

The Expedition led by The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census initiative - endorsed by the United Nations and in partnership with the University of the Arctic, Tromso (UiT) and REV Ocean is discovering and establishing a critical new baseline of ocean life.

SOUNDBITE: Jan- Gunnar Winther, Pro-rector for Research and Development, Arctic University of Norway: “The poles today, I think, stand out as extremely important for understanding both climate change and what's going on, and not least the consequences of climate change. Everything is connected. And that's why if you study the polar regions, you also study the planet.”

The Expedition is deploying multiple technologies for gathering data and samples, including REV Ocean’s 6,000meter remotely operated vehicle (ROV), which can sample with precision and record these depths in unprecedented detail. 

SOUNDBITE: Prof Giuliana Panieri: Principal Investigator, Arctic University of Norway: “All the samples we collect, will give us a chance to determine what might happen in the future. The past is the key to the present. The present is the key to the future”.

SOUNDBITE - Prof. Alex Rogers, Ocean Census Principal Investigator: “The ocean contains a bigger library of the legacy of the last 4 billion years of evolution than land or freshwater. And within that huge genetic library are the recipes for many biochemicals that are hugely useful to humankind.”

The unmanned ROV Aurora is lowered and raised through the ‘moonpool’, opening in the ship's hull above the water line. This allowed the ROV to be launched and retrieved safely in extreme weather. 

SOUNDBITE - Prof Jon Copley, University of Southampton: “When we're in the deep ocean, there's always a very high chance, particularly when we're up in a polar region like this, that we're going to find new species. Exploring these environments where the conditions are different to everywhere else. The polar regions and the hot springs on the ocean floor are where we're going to find adaptations that we don't see anywhere else on Earth.”

Most of these sites are poorly studied or have never been visited, and some are being targeted for deep-sea mining.

SOUNDBITE - Nina Jensen, REV Ocean: “My hope is, of course, that the mission discovers tons of new species, but also that it gets people more excited about these deep-sea ecosystems and that it puts more pressure on regulators to protect, preserve, and manage these ecosystems in a much better way than they're doing at the moment.”

Every new species the expedition finds, has a particular function in the ocean, supporting and sustaining all life on Earth.

Following the expedition, a taxonomic workshop in Tromsø will help with species discovery and analysis of collected specimens. The resulting curated collection will be preserved at the Arctic University Museum of Tromsø, serving as a valuable resource for future research endeavours.

The goal of Ocean Census is to accelerate the discovery of the ocean and is endorsed by the United Nations, as a Programme of the Ocean Decade.

Shotlist

Tromso: 02 may 2024

1: Tromso harbour looking east

2-5: The RV Kronprins Haakon, research ship owned by the Norwegian Polar Institute. This ship will carry the Nippon Foundation Nekton Ocean Census mission ‘Arctic Deep’, in partnership with the Arctic University of Norway (UiT) and Rev Ocean

6-10: scientific equipment is loaded onto RV Kronprins Haakon, including the Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Aurora, belonging to Rev Ocean. 

11: principal investigators Prof Alex Rogers of Ocean Census (C), Prof Giuliana Panieri of UiT (R) and Joe Sharman, Expedition Manager for Ocean Census (L) carry equipment to the ship

12-15: ROV Aurora is loaded into the ROV Hangar aboard Kronprins Haakon ready to sail

16: Interview Vidar Helgesen: Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO and Assistant Director-General of UNESCO.

Vidar Helgesen [00:01:07]: “There is much we don't know about the ocean. It's not something people relate to much in their daily lives. We don't live in the ocean. But what we do know is that the ocean is changing very fast. And where you're going now on the expedition is a part of the world that is changing much faster than the global average. Arctic warming is happening up to four times faster than the global average. This means the ecosystems are changing really fast. So mapping and getting more knowledge about those ecosystems and about the species there now before it's too late, it's very important.”

17: Interview Jan- Gunnar Winther, Pro-rector for Research and Development, Arctic University of Norway.

Jan-Gunnar Winther [00:01:44]: “The poles today, I think, stand out as extremely important for understanding both climate change and what's going on, and not least the consequences of climate change. Everything is connected. And that's why if you study the polar regions, you also study the planet. We have tools that we didn't have in the past, which equip us with the possibilities to find things that we never could have done in the past.”

“I think basically, when we have little information about areas like we have on the polar regions, the kind of added value to collect information, like species, in the Arctic in this example, is of greater value because there is so much more to learn. And our knowledge is quite limited. One of the big debates going on currently is about allowing for seabed minerals and mining. And of course, we need information like that collected by this expedition to make fair and good assessments of the environmental impact of activity.”

At sea, 03 June 2024

18: timelapse of Kronprins Haakon leaving Tromso and steaming towards the open ocean

19-20; on the bridge of Kronprins Haakon, Captain and First officer drive the ship

21: further time lapse of ship heading through Fjords towards open ocean

22-24: aerial shots of Kronprins Haakon steaming through fjords towards open ocean

25: Interview Prof Giuliana Panieri: Principal Investigator, Arctic University of Norway

Prof. Giuliana Panieri [00:03:47]: Most of the Arctic has not been investigated yet. We have information. Yes, we do, but not enough in order to really understand what is going on in this region today. We urgently need to build up a baseline that will give us the possibility to understand the changes in the future. The past is the key to the present. The present is the key to the future.

26-30: aerials and deck shots of Kronprins Haakon on operations in the arctic Ocean

31-33: deck crew deploy a piece of sensing equipment overboard

34: Interview Prof Alex Rogers, Principal Investigator, Ocean Census

Prof. Alex Rogers [00:05:12]: “The Nippon Foundation Nekton Ocean Census Mission is to accelerate the discovery of species in the ocean. On this expedition, we're sampling a variety of deep-sea ecosystems; Abyssal plains, mid-ocean ridges. We're looking for hydrothermal vents, and we're also looking for hydrocarbon seeps. The ocean contains a bigger library of the legacy of the last 4 billion years of evolution than land or freshwater. And within that huge genetic library are the recipes for many biochemicals that are hugely useful to humankind.”

35- 43: shots of ROV Aurora being prepared for launch by crew, and then lowered into moon pool

44: Timelapse of ROV Aurora being lowered into moon pool

45: Interview Prof Jon Copley, University of Southampton

Prof. Jon Copley [00:07:16]: “Where we're going to explore on the seafloor right here. It's a part of our planet no one has ever seen before. So that bit of terrain, those, you know, the hills and the things that we're going to find. No one's ever glimpsed that. And of course, we're interested in what's living down there. And when we're in the deep ocean, there's always a very high chance, particularly when we're up in a polar region like this, that we're going to find new species, exploring these environments where the conditions are different to everywhere else. So polar regions and the hot springs on the ocean floor, that's where we're going to find adaptations that we don't see anywhere else on Earth. And that's what's going to teach us these new things.” 

“One thing we can do now with our technology as well, is we can share that exploration, so people are able to almost look over our shoulder when we're discovering things, follow along, ask questions, get involved. So we're all exploring together and making the decisions, the choices, together that affect the future of our planet.”

46-52: Prof Jon Copley, Prof Alex Rogers and other members of the science team watch data being sent back real- time from a sensor package over 2000m down in the Arctic Ocean

53-56: members of a science team lead by Prof Giuliana Panieri recover push- core sediment samples from an instrument that was dropped to the seabed at a depth of over 3000m

57 - 60: sediment samples are sorted ready for processing in a wet lab on Kronprins Haakon

61: Interview Nina Jensen, CEO REV Ocean

Nina Jensen [00:09:38]: “We definitely need to accelerate our efforts to restore what we've damaged and protect and preserve the rest better in the years to come will require an immense effort. Currently, it's estimated that we have only explored about 10% of the ocean and in the Arctic, we probably know even less. So, a lot of effort will need to go into this region in the years to come. But that's, of course, why we're here.” 

My hope is, of course, that the mission discovers tons of new species, but also that it gets people more excited about these deep-sea ecosystems and that it puts more pressure on regulators to protect and preserve and manage these ecosystems in a much better way than they're doing at the moment.”

OCEAN CENSUS LAUNCH FAQS

www.oceancensus.org 
 

To download the original FAQ document, please click here.

What is Ocean Census?

Ocean Census is the largest programme in history to discover life in our ocean. It will be launched on April 27th, 2023 and will herald a new era of pioneering research and scientific exploration to accelerate species discovery and protection. Recent technological advances in high resolution imaging, DNA sequencing, and machine learning mean scientists can now massively accelerate the process. 

This will revolutionise our understanding of marine life which lies largely undiscovered beneath the waves. Today, scientists believe they have described little over 10% of the species that exist. It is believed there are 2.2 million species in our ocean, to date about 240,000 have been described.

Ocean Census has set the ambitious target of finding at least 100,000 new marine species in the first decade.  

We currently describe only around 1,700 – 2,000 new ocean species a year. The time from discovery to registration of new organisms can vary greatly depending on the species, existing species knowledge, the research entity, research method, and level of identification. This currently takes as little as one to two years and as long as several decades. That rate of discovery has changed little since the 1800s. 

Who is involved in Ocean Census?

Ocean Census is a global collaborative initiative, an open network of science, business, media and civil society organisations joining forces. It has been founded by The Nippon Foundation, a private, non-profit foundation for social innovation, and Nekton, a UK-based marine science and conservation institute. 

What is the estimated cost of Ocean Census?

The cost of Ocean Census is dependent on how large the initiative grows. Whilst the Nippon Foundation is providing the project’s initial core funding, the alliance of partners involved are committing their own resources to the global effort. 

Why is it taking place? 

Ocean life is fundamental to all life on Earth. It produces the oxygen we breathe, isolates carbon dioxide, creates food for billions of people and is constantly providing vital scientific advances to fight disease. 

We urgently need to protect this precious resource and the life within it, but we can’t protect what we do not know. 

Ocean Census will help to significantly advance our understanding of fundamental science – oxygen production, carbon cycling, sustainable food production, the evolution of life on Earth and discoveries of new medicine and biotechnologies. 

Ocean Census will help to identify how marine ecosystems are responding to climate change, assessing how marine life could support climate adaptation and alleviate the impacts of climate change for the benefit of all. A recent IPBES-IPCC Co-Sponsored Workshop Report on Biodiversity and Climate Change showed strong linkages between measures to mitigate and adapt to climate change and biodiversity.

How will Ocean Census work?

• Scientists from across the world will embark on expeditions to the ocean’s biodiversity hotspots to find new life from the surface to full ocean depth (10,925 metres). 
• Specimens will be sent to Ocean Census Biodiversity Centres which harness technological advances across high resolution imaging, DNA sequencing and machine learning to speed up and scale up the process of discovery. 
• As more partners get involved in high, middle-and low-income nations, more scientists and centres will participate.
• Networks of taxonomists will connect virtually to draw on the aggregated data set created which will provide a complete picture of species discovery and description.
• This aggregated, open-sourced data is added to a network of data centres globally and made freely accessible to scientists, marine policymakers and the public. We are working with these data centres to increase interoperability with a goal of having a single point of access - the Ocean Census Biodiversity System for scientists, decision makers, and the public.

Why should I care? 

Ocean life makes all life on Earth possible and holds the wisdom of four billion years of evolution on Earth (life has existed in the ocean for three times longer than land). For context, 33 phyla are known in the Tree of Life, of which 32 are found in the ocean and 17 on land and in freshwater. Phyla are the major branches of ‘The Tree of Life’, how life is classified. Life in our ocean is responsible for much of the air we breathe, regulating our climate and Earth’s chemistry, and a vital food source for billions. To sustain and benefit life on Earth, we need to understand, protect and restore ocean life.

Who owns the data, is it ethical to take samples from the ocean, particularly in developing countries?

All data is open access for science, decision makers and the public for non-commercial use. All expeditions and research is co-produced hand-in-hand with host nation scientists and governments and the species, specimens, and related data discovered from territorial waters are owned by the host nation (under Nagoya Protocol and related laws). Under the UN Law of the Sea, species, specimens, and data from international waters are part of the collective commons, owned by the people of the planet and all data is open access for the common benefit of humankind. 

Who will name the species?

Species from a nation’s territorial waters are given Latin names by the scientists doing the

species descriptions where at all possible, in consultation with host nation scientists. A smaller number of species will be given Common Names by the people of the host nation of each expedition in a process that will be managed and guided by the scientists from the host nation. Species from international waters are given Latin names by the scientists doing the species descriptions with a small number of species to be given Common Names by the public. These protocols will be established in the first phase of the programme.

Isn't it all too late and the ocean is doomed?

No, it's not too late. We have a short window of opportunity, perhaps the next ten years, when the decisions we all make will likely affect the next thousand or even ten thousand years. We hope the giant leaps in knowledge we can make with the discovery of ocean life can help put us on a better track towards a positive future for people and the planet.

What does success look like and how will it be measured?

Success for us is ultimately helping inform the protection and restoration of ocean life so it can continue to support life on Earth. This requires a lot of other global issues to line up towards this outcome which are outside of our control. However, in terms of our contribution it will be measured by:

• The number of species discovered – the goal is at least 100,000. Each one represents a vital piece of the code of life on earth - the more we discover, the more we understand how life exists and how to sustain and strengthen life in the ocean and therefore on Earth. 
• The range of discoveries which will benefit all humankind – from oxygen production, carbon cycling, sustainable food production, the evolution of life on Earth and discoveries of new medicine and biotechnologies.  
• The number of scientists involved, particularly taxonomists. Currently taxonomists are declining in number and are usually found in high-income nations. Success will be growing a network of scientists engaged in the discovery and conservation of ocean life – and notably, far more equitably distributed across the global ocean.

We have heard that many pharmaceuticals and cures have been found in the ocean. What do you expect to find? 

Marine genetic resources are the genetic material present in all marine life and have been a source of many important pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and personal care products (e.g., currently 13 pharmaceutical drugs derived from marine organisms have been clinically approved, including treatments for cancer, neuropathic pain, COVID-19, HIV-AIDS and antivirals, with a further 24 marine-derived products in clinical trials and 250 in preclinical investigations). 

Harnessing marine genetic resources will galvanise marine biotechnology industries including through the discovery of new drugs to treat disease and identifying bulk eco-chemicals and sustainable bioplastics. However, Ocean Census is not involved in bioprospecting nor any onward commercialisation.

Is the extraction of coral & other samples a harmful process?

Ocean Census will deploy high-precision sampling tools to collect corals and other large organisms. This means that a small number of individual samples will be collected and then preserved for further classification in museums or other laboratories. Sub-samples will be taken for DNA analysis. These organisms will be killed as part of this process but the number of samples will be minimised.

Smaller organisms that live in sand or mud will be collected as small samples of sediment, preserved and then later extracted. Again, bare minimum sampling will be undertaken.

Ocean Census may opportunistically collect specimens from fisheries surveys or other sources. These organisms would usually die as a result of collection but in this case they will be preserved for scientific description.

Are you using larger vessels to carry out the research, is this not bad for the environment?

Ocean Census will combine vessels from the philanthropic, government academic and commercial fleets. We are deploying a combination of advanced subsea technologies with divers, human submersibles, and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). At present these vessels are generally powered by fuel oil and these do have a CO2 footprint. Our shore-based and nearshore expeditions will have a much lower carbon footprint. As the programme continues overtime, large hydrocarbon-powered vessels will likely be replaced by vessels powered by ammonium or hydrogen.

What if we fail?

The loss and destruction of ocean life is an existential crisis. Without ocean life, life on Earth will not continue as we know it. The more we can do right now, the more positive the impact we can have down the tracks. 

How do I get involved?

We welcome all partners from government, science, expeditions, media, philanthropy, business and civil society to join the alliance and be part of Ocean Census. Please do contact us through the website. There are a multitude of different ways that different partners can get involved including:
 

• Governments: 1) Invite Ocean Census to work together to discover ocean life in your territorial waters, 2) Work with Ocean Census to develop or align research grants, research expeditions and scientists to advance research in ocean life.
• Science: 1) Collaborate on species discovery with the Ocean Census science team, 2) Take on a challenge to discover new species, 3) Contribute your new species to the global effort, 4) Register projects involved in discovery of ocean life, 5) Register taxonomic skills and expertise.
• Expeditions: 1) Register your expedition to become an Official Ocean Census Expedition, 2) Participate or partner with Ocean Census on our expeditions, 3) Invite Ocean Census taxonomists to join your expedition, 4) Collaborate with marine operations – from vessels to subsea technology deployment and development.
• Media / Engagement: 1) Engage with our media team for stories about ocean life 2) Get in touch with the Ocean Life Media Centre to share your stories of ocean life and request support to amplify across news and social media, 3) Develop partnerships across education, installations, broadcast etc.
• Philanthropy: 1) Co-develop programmes and funding to undertake Ocean Census activities across science, policy, expeditions, technology, engagement and/or capacity development, 2) Align existing initiatives with Ocean Census. 
• Business: 1) Provide in-kind support to Ocean Census, 2) Co-develop and fund specific programmes including science, policy, expeditions, technology, engagement and/or capacity development, 3) Become an Ocean Census Sponsor with a bespoke range of partnership benefits.
• Civil Society: 1) Co-develop programmes that meet your and Ocean Census objectives, 2) Align existing initiatives with Ocean Census.

How do I follow the programme?

Latest news, films, content and events are updated on the website and please subscribe to Ocean Census News (our monthly digital newsletter) and follow Ocean Census across our social media channels:

Instagram: @oceancensus 

Facebook: /oceancensus 

LinkedIn: /oceancensus

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@oceancensus