From August 6 – September 8, 2023, 9 CSSF team members supported the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST) aboard the R/V Isabu for the Western Pacific Seamount 2nd Exploration Expedition. The expedition was part of the ‘Selection of prospective mining area for cobalt-rich ferromanganese crust in western Pacific seamounts: 3D resource estimation and environmental impact evaluation’ project, funded by the Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. An additional project that was conducted aboard the R/V Isabu, ‘Development of technology for designating and managing ocean conservation areas using AI deep learning’, was conducted by KIOST. Participants were largely from KIOST but included one representative from Inha University. KIOST’s objectives were to: 1) to select the first mining area, scheduled for 2026 and 2) to conduct environmental research as mandated by the International Seabed Authority. Work requiring the use of ROPOS included: collection of imagery, as well as collection of prospective mineral resources and biological samples on and around the selected seamounts.

From March 18 – May 10, 2023, 6 CSSF team members supported the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), which works in partnership with the International Seabed Authority (ISA). The science team’s focus was to conduct research on the hydrothermal vents of the Central Indian Ridge. There were two main objectives for this expedition: 1) to understand the environmental characteristics of the hydrothermal vents and analyze the structure and function of the surrounding ecosystem, as well as 2) to investigate the characteristics of mineral resources formed by hydrothermal activity. The expedition focused on geology but also included some biology. Tasks that required ROPOS included collection of video footage along with biological and bedrock samples.

Read more: KIOST’s 2023 Indian Ocean Expedition

From July 15 – August 2, 2024, 6 CSSF team members supported Dalhousie University, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) aboard the R/V Henry B. Bigelow for the Cross-border Coral Habitat Exploration (CroCHEt) Expedition in the Gulf of Maine and in submarine canyons on the continental slope, including two in the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument. The aims of the scientific team were to answer several questions about deep-water corals and to maintain successful collaboration between Canadian and US scientists. Scientists from Dalhousie University, the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science, DFO, and NOAA all participated. The expedition had 8 scientific objectives: 1) conduct video surveys and collect specimens at various locations, 2) explore new areas that may be of interest for protection, 3) evaluate deep-water coral abundance and spatial distribution, 4) collect fauna for taxonomic, reproductive, age, and isotopic analyses, 5) collect data for long-term monitoring in conservation areas, 6) undertake onboard experiments on temperature tolerance of select coral species, 7) collect water samples for eDNA analysis, and 8) collect multibeam data. Work that required the expertise of our team and ROPOS included the collection of imagery, biological samples, and seawater samples.

Read more: Dalhousie, NOAA and DFO’s CroCHEt Expedition

From July 11 – August 8, 2024, 4 CSSF team members piloted the CCGS Amundsen’s ROV, ASTRID (Amundsen Science Technology for Remote Innovation and Discoveries) in the Labrador Sea as part of contract work to support Amundsen Science.

Leg 2a of the 2024 Amundsen Expedition was led by the Nunatsiavut Government in collaboration with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and several other research programs led by other organisations, including ArcticFish, Arctic Kelp, Avaaforfish, Natural Resources Canada’s marine mapping programs, the Northern Contaminants Program and the Ocean Frontier Institute’s Sustainable Nunatsiavut Futures program. Leg 2a took place along coastal Labrador, as well as in the Labrador Sea and Baffin Bay, Canada. Two programs required the use of an ROV during Leg 2a, 1) the Imappivut Initiative and 2) DFO’s Benthic Refuges Program. For these, the science objectives were to further study previously identified biodiversity hot spots and investigate new biodiversity hot spots, with the guidance of local Nunatsiavut knowledge, as well as to characterize benthic habitats within or adjacent to Marine Refuges.