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    Portuguese researchers will test hyperbaric system for the collection and life-support of deep-sea species

    22nd April 2022

    The deep sea is one of the final frontiers of the planet, with significant potential regarding exploitation of bio resources associated with the organisms and rare substances that can be found in these regions. However, research into the deep sea has been underdeveloped due to the extremely hostile environment, in particular the high pressure.

    “Knowledge of deep-sea species remains insufficient. However, the first research programmes focused on said resources showed that these marine organisms have significant potential to the pharmaceutical and food industries", explained Diana Viegas, INESC TEC researcher. “Within the scope of this project, we’ve developed a collection and life-support system for species, which will increase our knowledge of the life cycle and biology of deep-sea animals. This campaign aims to test the ability to capture living organisms from the seabed and the water columns at different depths, up to a maximum of 1000 metres, and then transfer them to a hyperbaric chamber at the surface, while safeguarding their physiological conditions”, stated Antonina dos Santos, the IPMA and CIIMAR researcher leading the campaign.

    The project’s components include a hyperbaric mobile infrastructure that allows the collection of living organisms in the deep sea - under high pressure, low temperature (or extremely high, in the case of close active volcanoes or hydrothermal sources) and reduced light conditions - and an infrastructure that transfers them to another hyperbaric chamber, which mimics the seabed environment (namely in terms of the physical parameters relevant to preserve the life of the species, thus acting as an aquarium).

    "This equipment includes components that control the chemical parameters that sustain organisms within the hyperbaric system, e.g., pressure, temperature, light, food, corrosion and salinity," explained Antonina dos Santos.

    The system was developed within the scope of the project “HIPERSEA - COLLECTION AND LIFE SUPPORT IN A HYPERBARIC SYSTEM FOR DEEP-SEA ORGANISMS” (POCI-01-0247-FEDER-033889), funded by the COMPETE 2020 programme (approximately €3M).