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Researchers from Fisheries and Oceans
Canada and Memorial University of Newfoundland took part in an exciting survey
of unexplored depths of the Atlantic Ocean during a three-week mission in July
2007. Deep water corals were a primary focus of the research.
 Researchers onboard the Canadian Coast
Guard Ship Hudson surveyed deep water animal life off the coasts of Nova Scotia
and Newfoundland using an underwater robot known as ROPOS (Remotely Operated
Platform for Ocean Science). With ROPOS, they collected samples and images at
depths of 2,500 metres; and transmitted live underwater video footage to
researchers at various land locations.
 The mission revealed that life in these
waters is much more diverse than previously realized. Researchers captured over
3,000 high quality photographs that displayed this diversity, including an
octopus with large fins near its eyes, known as "Dumbo," a potentially new
species of scallop, and a single-celled organism previously unknown in this
region. To view some of these images, please see below.
Research based on the mission’s findings will continue for
the next year at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
and its partner universities. The role of the newly discovered species in the
marine food chain will be one of the prime areas of study; findings could also
have implications for conservation efforts and medicine.To view more of
these images, see the Photo Album
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