National Oceanography Centre expedition in Atlantic Ocean

The 25-day scientific mission set sail from Southampton on May 30, aiming to continue the study at the pioneering Porcupine Abyssal Plain Sustained Observatory (PAP-SO), about 800 km from Land’s End in the northeast Atlantic Ocean.

Started in 1985, the PAP-SO, located at a depth of 4,850 m, has been the world's longest-running time series study of life on an abyssal plain.

These are flat seabeds found 4,000-6,000 m deep.

PAP expedition chief scientist Dr Andrew Gates with Mike Thurston, the scientist who led the first PAP expedition in 1985 on the RRS Challenger (Image: NOC) This site is critical for understanding changes in the health of the deep ocean, its role as a carbon sink, and the impacts of climate change.

Dr Andrew Gates, principal scientist at NOC and leader of the expedition, said: "Science undertaken at PAP-SO has significantly advanced knowledge of the remote deep-ocean realm and beyond."

The expedition, funded by the UK National Environment Research Council (NERC) through the AtlantiS programme, will test new autonomous technologies alongside established methods.

These will contribute to the long-term, multidisciplinary observations at the site.

Creatures found at the seabed at PAP include sea cucumbers, including this Psychropotes buglossa, one of the most iconic animals from the abyssal plain, captured with the Bathysnap camera (Image: NOC) READ MORE: National Oceanography Centre in Southampton opening doors

Dr Gates added: "The PAP-SO is more than a research site—it’s a testbed for new technologies that advance ocean science."

Among the advanced technologies being tested for this 41st expedition are new sensors and sampling technologies for autonomous observation.

These were developed as part of the GEORGE project, an initiative funded by Horizon Europe to advance technology for high quality ocean observations.

The role of GEORGE includes the use of two underwater autonomous robots called gliders, and an uncrewed surface vessel (USV) to support ship-borne data.

The expedition will also deploy underwater hydrophones for the first time, allowing scientists to "listen" to the deep ocean at the PAP-SO and Whittard Canyon.

These sounds could provide insights into whales, dolphins, and submarine canyon landslides at Whittard Canyon.

Moreover, a time-lapse camera system, Bathysnap, which has been on the seafloor taking images every few hours for the past year, will be recovered and replaced, and its captured images reviewed by the scientists.

The mission will also replace a Met Office monitoring buoy that supports weather forecasting and ocean monitoring at the site.