09 February 2022
BathyReef joins BathyBot
The BathyReef artificial reef was launched and landed on the EMSO-LO site at a depth of 2400m. There are no plans for it to ever rise again! The researchers' objective is to observe the colonisation of the reef in the deep environment. It will first be colonised by micro-organisms, then by larger life forms attracted by the smaller ones - and so on. BathyReef will eventually become a veritable hotspot of biodiversity! This will delight its friend BathyBot, who will be able to follow its colonisation using its cameras. But the link doesn't stop there! BathyReef will also give BathyBot a bird's eye view of the seabed. By climbing on top of it, the robot will have better visibility in cases where suspended sediments are too high!
BathyReef is the project of the BathyBot team and was designed by the Lab Rougerie+Tangram and by the group Vicat. Its particular shape is biomimetically inspired by ascidians, from the tunicate family. These marine animals have internal tissues that are partitioned and rigid, as explained at Day 2. These are two important characteristics for an artificial reef that needs to have room to accommodate the various organisms, and that is designed to withstand underwater pressure.
Let's take a closer look...
Inside the reef
This is what BathyReef looks like from the inside! All the branches you see and all the grooves they form are designed to support life in the depths. Organisms will colonise BathyReef by attaching themselves to its walls. Gradually, this habitat will attract more and more visitors. We're counting on BathyBot to follow its colonisation!
Installed thanks to the Nautile
BathyReef is a much more fragile infrastructure than metallic devices such as the Scientific Junction Box or BathyBot, and it is also very light.
As explained in Day 7The immersion of light objects is the most difficult because they are more subject to the force of the current and the movements of the vessel. Reaching the target landing point is a real challenge with a concrete artificial reef: BathyReef's fragility exposes it to risks when it hits the seabed. To avoid damaging the reef, the immersion operation was accompanied by the Nautile. The submarine received it 100 m from the seabed to enable it to be installed smoothly! The photo shows the Nautile emerging from the water after the mission.
Welcome to BathyReef in deep waters! Monitoring its colonisation by a robot like BathyBot at this depth is a first!
Congratulations to the teams involved in their construction and deployment!
Photo credit: Nicolas Fromont - @nicolasfromontphoto