Ikimono Discovery Communication vol.8 "Deep Sea Survey/Underwater Drone" | Press Release of Sunshine City Co., Ltd.

At the Sunshine Aquarium (Ikebukuro, Tokyo, Director: Katsushi Maruyama), we regularly conduct surveys using underwater drones about the deep sea, where people cannot continue to live because of water pressure and temperature. It is said that much is still unknown about the depth of 200m, which is the entrance to the deep sea. The goal is to make use of it for exhibiting and collecting organisms. In this communication, in addition to information about underwater drones, we will introduce the state of the actual survey. At depths of over 200m, almost no light reaches the ocean, and at a depth of around 1,000m, only about 1/100 trillion of the light from the sun reaches the surface of the sea. In addition, the water temperature in areas deeper than 1,000m is as cold as 2-4°C, and the water pressure is even more intense. Some deep-sea organisms feed on organic matter such as the corpses and droppings of creatures that have sunk to the seabed from shallow seas. In the past, it was thought that there were not many creatures in the deep sea because there was not much food to eat, but now it is said that there are at least 2,500 species living there. It is a harsh environment that ordinary creatures cannot live in, but deep-sea creatures have evolved to adapt to the environment and live in a harsh environment. The deep sea, where deep-sea organisms live, generally refers to the sea area deeper than 200m, but the sea area deeper than 6,000m is called "ultra-deep sea". In such a deep sea area, it is almost at the bottom of the sea, and it reaches the deepest part of the sea called the ocean trench. Although the trench is located in the ocean, it has mountains, valleys, and steep cliffs just like on land. Very few creatures have been confirmed in such an ultra-deep sea. Because of the harsh environment and difficult investigations, there are many things that remain unexplained.

Those who know the deepest sea The depth of the "Challenger Deep" in the Mariana Trench, the deepest in the world's oceans, reaches 10,920m in human history. , 8 people have reached by submersible (as of December 2020). According to former astronaut Catherine Sullivan, who was the first woman to reach Challenger Deep, it is a dangerous place where "submersibles are subject to water pressure equivalent to 291 jumbo jets." In the course of this challenge, creatures such as the ``Yumushi's companion'' at a depth of 7,000m and the ``Shinkai snailfish'' at a depth of 8,000m were discovered. (Source: https://kathysullivanastronaut.blogspot.com/)

In the deep sea, where it was difficult to investigate in harsh environments, We are developing an underwater robot called "machine" and promoting resource development. An underwater drone is a small unmanned aerial vehicle that can move freely underwater and conduct surveys while diving. The operator can operate the aircraft by remote control from the ship or land, check the captured images in real time, and collect and investigate minerals and living things with the robot arm. The Sunshine Aquarium utilizes the Dive Unit 300, an unmanned spacecraft that is compact and has excellent remote controllability.

Underwater drone "Dive Unit 300" Width 410mm Height 375mm Depth 639.5mm Corresponds to water depth of 300m. It can stay active underwater for about 4 hours.

After the underwater drone is thrown into the sea, it is remotely controlled using a controller on board while watching the video projected by the camera of the underwater drone. Observing creatures and the underwater environment through video, we will investigate what kind of creatures live, what the water temperature is at how many meters deep, and the current state of marine problems such as plastic waste. For the aquarium staff, each piece of information that they can investigate on their own is valuable information, and they are conducting underwater research from various perspectives on a daily basis.

Image taken with an underwater drone

Video taken with an underwater drone: https://youtu.be/kP1a0uwiGkw

The excitement is irresistible! (According to the staff in charge of underwater drones at Sunshine Aquarium) Even though the water depth is 200m, there are still many things that are not known, so I am very excited to expect new discoveries during the survey. Only in this survey can you observe the original appearance of deep-sea creatures. However, during my research, I sometimes find plastic waste that has sunk to the bottom of the sea, and it makes me realize that the plastic waste that we humans produce has reached the deep sea. From the survey results, the water temperature at the depth of the water was clarified, and it was able to be reflected in the transportation and exhibition of deep-sea organisms. We will continue to collect environmental and water temperature data so that it can be used for exhibitions and collections.

Amaranten sea cucumber (Scheduled to be exhibited from January 14) Habitat: Pacific Ocean Depth: 110-700m It is agar-soft and soft, and when stimulated, its body glows bluish-white.

Lucky to meet you! Rare deep-sea creature Octopus Habitat: Pacific Ocean Depth: 200m-600m Moves its ear-like fins. When moving, it sometimes swims softly.

-“Zokuzoku Deep Sea Creatures 2022” held!! To do. You can meet these limited-time deep-sea creatures that cannot be seen in the permanent exhibition! You can enjoy the unique characteristics of deep-sea creatures that live in a harsh environment and explanations of their roles through living organisms, specimens, and model exhibits. You can view the release here. https://bit.ly/31nM2ln Event name: Zoku Zoku Deep Sea Life 2022 Period: January 14 (Friday) to March 6 (Sunday), 2022 Fee: Sunshine Aquarium admission fee. * Paid URL for backyard tour and deep sea talk: https://sunshinecity.jp/file/aquarium/zokuzoku_deep_sea/

* You can download this release PDF from here → https://prtimes.jp/a/?f=d20364-20220107-096c3885355251e7fb62bf08c253090e.pdf

Ikimono Discovery Tsushin Please look forward to the next issue! ※The image is an image. *All prices include tax. * Depending on the situation, the contents and schedule may change. * Sunshine Aquarium is working to prevent the spread of new coronavirus infections so that customers can visit with peace of mind. We kindly ask for your understanding and cooperation during your visit. For details, please check the Sunshine Aquarium website. https://sunshinecity.jp/aquarium/news/entry-14803.html Sunshine Aquarium Overview Location: Sunshine City World Import Mart Building Rooftop, 3-1 Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo Business hours: 10:00-18:00 (Autumn/Winter), 9:30-21:00 00 (Spring/Summer) *Last entry is 1 hour before closing *Subject to change Admission fee: Adults (high school students and above) 2,400 yen, children (elementary and junior high school students) 1,200 yen, infants (ages 4 and up) 700 yen Contact: Sunshine Aquarium 03-3989-3466 https://sunshinecity.jpーーーーー