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| Robot sub explores giant canyon | Robot sub explores giant canyon |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| By David Shukman BBC science correspondent, Nazare | By David Shukman BBC science correspondent, Nazare |
| ISIS brings specimens back to the ship's deck Inside the canyon Scientists have begun the first detailed exploration of a vast underwater valley the size of the Grand Canyon - just off the coast of Portugal - and it has yielded a series of surprises. | |
| Using Britain's ISIS robot submarine - a van-sized bundle of high-technology - researchers are for the first time able to view previously hidden features up to 5km (three miles) deep in the Nazare Canyon. | Using Britain's ISIS robot submarine - a van-sized bundle of high-technology - researchers are for the first time able to view previously hidden features up to 5km (three miles) deep in the Nazare Canyon. |
| The canyon extends out into the eastern Atlantic from the seaside town of Nazare, north of Lisbon - long plotted on maps but until now never properly studied. | The canyon extends out into the eastern Atlantic from the seaside town of Nazare, north of Lisbon - long plotted on maps but until now never properly studied. |
| The submarine is operated from the UK's new research vessel, the James Cook, and during a visit on board I watched as it was winched over the side and lowered into the waves. | The submarine is operated from the UK's new research vessel, the James Cook, and during a visit on board I watched as it was winched over the side and lowered into the waves. |
| The Nazare Canyon teems with life - even at great depthIn a control room like something out of Star Wars, a team "flies" the robot down into the dark and the high-definition cameras have captured sights no one expected. | The Nazare Canyon teems with life - even at great depthIn a control room like something out of Star Wars, a team "flies" the robot down into the dark and the high-definition cameras have captured sights no one expected. |
| To the amazement of scientists, the shape of a shark appeared at a depth of 3,600m (12,000ft) - far deeper than sharks are usually found. | To the amazement of scientists, the shape of a shark appeared at a depth of 3,600m (12,000ft) - far deeper than sharks are usually found. |
| On the sides of the canyon, beneath the overhanging edges of the giant cliffs, cold-water corals are seen clinging to the rock, part of a highly active ecosystem well below the limits of sunlight. | On the sides of the canyon, beneath the overhanging edges of the giant cliffs, cold-water corals are seen clinging to the rock, part of a highly active ecosystem well below the limits of sunlight. |
| See a guide to the ISIS robot sub | See a guide to the ISIS robot sub |
| According to the lead scientist, Professor Doug Masson of the National Oceanography Centre, the scientific community had been divided on whether "a canyon this deep would be a biological hotspot or an underwater desert". | According to the lead scientist, Professor Doug Masson of the National Oceanography Centre, the scientific community had been divided on whether "a canyon this deep would be a biological hotspot or an underwater desert". |
| There is nowhere on the planet that is immune from climate change Professor Paul Tyler, marine biologist In fact, he says: "It's a mixture of both - some areas like the walls are as active as a coral reef, while others are dominated by sand dunes with no signs of life." | There is nowhere on the planet that is immune from climate change Professor Paul Tyler, marine biologist In fact, he says: "It's a mixture of both - some areas like the walls are as active as a coral reef, while others are dominated by sand dunes with no signs of life." |
| And this undersea landscape is far more active than thought - giant boulders litter part of the sea-floor after being transported dozens of kilometres from the coast. | And this undersea landscape is far more active than thought - giant boulders litter part of the sea-floor after being transported dozens of kilometres from the coast. |
| For Professor Paul Tyler, a marine biologist, the expedition is a chance to establish a baseline of data about this undersea world - so the effects of climate change can be assessed. | For Professor Paul Tyler, a marine biologist, the expedition is a chance to establish a baseline of data about this undersea world - so the effects of climate change can be assessed. |
| Climate change will impact even remote ecosystems"We've seen signs of change at the surface and in other parts of the deep ocean at 5,000m; so we need to see what's changing here. | Climate change will impact even remote ecosystems"We've seen signs of change at the surface and in other parts of the deep ocean at 5,000m; so we need to see what's changing here. |
| "There is nowhere on the planet that is immune from climate change." | "There is nowhere on the planet that is immune from climate change." |
| The team's next mission? The Whittard Canyon, another deep submarine valley, this time off the coast of Ireland. | The team's next mission? The Whittard Canyon, another deep submarine valley, this time off the coast of Ireland. |
| As Professor Masson puts it, less than 5% of the world's sea-bed has been surveyed with modern technology - so this project is just a start. | As Professor Masson puts it, less than 5% of the world's sea-bed has been surveyed with modern technology - so this project is just a start. |
| Click here to return | Click here to return |