Projects
The team at Armatus Oceanic have been asked to be involved in several high profile and groundbreaking projects and expeditions, many of which have led to the discovery of new species and the development and deployment of new technologies to allow for research and exploration.
Call it Plastic: Eurythenes plasticus
In 2020, Armatus Oceanic and Newcastle University worked with the WWF on a campaign called ‘Call it Plastic’. The team described a new species of amphipod (crustacean) sampled from over 6000metres in the Mariana Trench and has it analysed for microplastic ingestion. Having found plastic in the stomach of a species never before seen by humans, we named it Eurythenes plasticus to highlight the scourge of the plastic problem in the world’s oceans, even some of the deepest and most remote.
Caladan 2020: R
ed Sea and Ring of Fire
The Ring of Fire Expedition blends science, exploration and tourism. It is due to take place in 2020 and will comprise an extensive series of submersible dives to the deepest point on Earth, Challenger Deep, followed by a series of dives at locations of scientific interest elsewhere in the Mariana Trench. Alan Jamieson will be Chief Scientists on the Expedition and take part in these dives.
The Red Sea Expedition in February 2020 was a series of baited lander and manned submersible dives to the brine pools of the Red Sea. In collaboration with KAUST, the team completed 11 lander deployments and three sub dives to the Kebrit, and Suakin Brine Pools. Alan Jamieson was Chief Scientist on the Expedition and completed dives to the bottom of the Puerto Rico, Java, Mariana trenches, and the Molloy Deep in the Arctic.
The Five Deeps Expedition
The Five Deeps (2018-2019) was an epic round the world expedition that successfully operated a manned submersible at the deepest point in all five ocean, plus other sites of interest. The expedition covered 40,000, miles, mapped 600,000km2 of sea floor, completed 103 lander deployment and discovered countless new species. Completed in less than a year, the expedition broke countless depth records for exploration and science alike. A 5-part documentary series following the expedition will be aired on the Discovery Channel on 2020.
In the publications list see Jamieson et al (2019), Stewart and Jamieson (2019), Jamieson (2020)
Exploration of Extreme Ocean Environments
This project was a Newcastle University funded series of collaborations with Denmark, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Germany between 2017 and 2018. During this time new camera technology and lander vehicles were designed, constructed and operated across the East Indian Ocean, NW, SW and SE Pacific Oceans. Biological expeditions were conducted from Perth to Colombo and across the entire depth range of the Atacama Trench off Chile (down to 8000 m). Geological exploration of the Kermadec Trench (off New Zealand) was conducted using adapted lander systems. In the Marana Trench, our team deployed a lander three times in the Mariana Trench, including the deepest point for the Discovery Channel documentary Deep Ocean: Descent in to the Mariana Trench.
In the publications list see Jamieson et al 2019), Purser et al (2019), Weston et al 2020ab), Stewart and Jamieson (2018).
Pharmadeep
PharmaDEEP was an EU Eurofleets funded Expedition on the Spanish navy Antarctic vessel BIO Hesperides in 2015/16. In collaborations with multiple European research institutes, out ream led the first biodiscovery expedition to one of the deepest parts of Antarctica, the South Shetland Trench. The mission to source novel biological compounds for pharmaceutical research. The expedition involved seafloor imaging, piston coring, multicoring, mapping and trawling.
Hades-K / Hades-M
Hades-K and Hades-M were two international expeditions to the Kermadec Trench and Mariana Trench respectively. With partners from the UK, New Zealand and the US, the team originally used the HROV Nereus in the Kermadec Trench alongside 32 lander deployments on the RV Thomas G. Thompson, and on the RV Falkor, did 47 lander deployments across the Mariana Trench. These expeditions led to the discovery of the deepest fish in the world and the discovery of extensive manmade contamination of the world’s deepest habitats and fauna.
In the publications list see Ichino et al (2015), Mills et al (2016), Linley et al (2016, 2017), Jamieson et al (2017, 2019).
HADEEP III-IV
The third and Fourth HADEEP project were based around expeditions on the RV Kaharoa in collaboration NIWA in New Zealand and the Total Foundation in France. The expedition, in 2013, were to the fore-arc of the Kermadec Trench off New Zealand, the South Fiji Basin and the New Hebrides Trench off New Caledonia. The project also saw the construction of a new Hadal-Lander.
In the publications list see Lacey et al (2016, 2018), Ritchie et al (2017, 2018).
HADEEP II
HADEEP II, funded by the Total Foundation in France was focussed on the deepest parts of the Kermadec Trench off New Zealand centred around two expedition on the RV Kaharoa in 2011 and 2012. 26 lander deployments were made from 6000 to 10,000 m and led to the discovery of the Supergiant amphipod at hadal depths.
In the publications list see Jamieson et al (2013) Yancey et al (2014).
HADEEP
HADEEP (HADal Exploration and Education Partnership) was funded by the Nippon Foundation in Japan in collaboration with the University of Tokyo. This project saw the original design and construction of the two hadal-lander that were subsequently deploy in the Tonga, Kermadec Izu-Bonin, Mariana Japan and Peru-Chile trenches. This project saw the first live video of a hadal fish, set depth records for the deepest fish, the deepest shrimp and discovered many new species.
In the publications list see Jamieson et al (2009abcd; 2010, 2011ab, 2012abc), Fujii et al (2010, 2013), Eustace et al 2013, 2015).
Industrial Collaboration
Over the years our team have worked extensively with the oil and gas industry over multiple projects regarding deep water environmental surveys of technical developments. For example, the construction of the ROBIO lander, the DELOS platform and methods for sampling under oil rigs. The team were also part of the initial Deepwater Horizon spill response, obtaining some of the first seabed images.
In the publications list see Jamieson and Bagley (2005), Jamieson et al (2011), Fujii and Jamieson (2016), Jamieson et al (2017), and Milligan et al (2020).
Conservation and stewardship
Over the years our team have been involved in several international publications calling for enhanced monitoring and protection of the oceans through either strategical management based on scientific advice or directly through industrial and economic partnerships. Much of our contributions to these publications are underpinned by direct research and findings from our projects.
In the publications list see Danovaro et al (2017, 2020), Forrest et al (2019).
Collaborative projects
Our team have collaborated on several large European projects:
ECO-MAR (Ecosystem of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge)
A project made up of four expeditions to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge exploring the differences between the east and west of the ridge and north and south of the Sub-Polar Front and Charlie Gibbs Fracture Zone. The project utilised a wide range of equipment including the Isis ROV, otter trawl, mega-corer, towed cameras and baited landers.
In the publications list see: Linley et al. (2013), Cousins et al. (2013), Blanco et al. (2013), Niedzielski et al. (2013)
Coralfish
A consortium of 17 partners from 11 countries assessing the interaction between cold water corals, fish and fisheries, in order to develop monitoring and predictive modelling tools for ecosystem based management in the deep waters of Europe and beyond.
In the publication list see: Linley et al. (2017)
KM3NeT/EuroSITES/FixO3
KM3NeT was a research infrastructure project involving the next generation underwater neutrino telescopes, located in the deepest seas of the Mediterranean.
EuroSITES and FixO3 were projects integrating and enhancing deep-ocean observatories across Europe.
In the publication list see: Linley et al. (2018), Priede et al. (2008), Craig et al. (2009), Craig et al. (2010), Bagley et al. (2011), Adrián-Martínez et al. (2013), Craig et al. (2015).