Artex 2023 concludes: New discoveries and a model of collaboration
Two remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dives and four boxcore deployments later, the Artex 2023 team disembarked in Aitutaki after completing a research expedition of the deep ocean plains shared with Rarotonga.
The expedition, funded through the UK-based DEEPEND Project, proved to be a very successful collaboration, with government coordinating firstly with research academia, and with a licence holder. This was done by taking advantage of the Anuanua Moana vessel heading to the Moana Minerals exploration site.
“There are a lot of moving parts involved in mounting a deep-sea expedition” said Co-Chief Scientist and SBMA Knowledge Management Director Dr John Parianos “It was great to see the pieces come together. I’d like to acknowledge all the hard work from my Co-Chief Scientist Rima Browne, who did most of the organising before heading off to the Oceania Sevens Tournament.
The Kiva Marine team should also be commended. A Cook Islands "first" achieved during the expedition was simultaneous deployment of ROV and boxcorer. While this is a more complicated procedure than deploying only one device at a time, this enabled more work to be achieved in the limited time available.”
Parianos and SBMA’s Knowledge Management Officer Tanga Morris were joined by experts from the United Kingdom and local stakeholders. “It was exciting to go to sea with such an effective research vessel and in the company of such a capable and experienced team” said Morris “Everyone pitched in to help, even at 1am in the morning. The biological samples have to be handled so gently as the animals are very delicate, and it was awesome to learn from some of the most experienced people in the world.”
Two DEEPEND Project partners joined the expedition. Dr Adrian Glover from the Natural History Museum in London is a world authority on deep sea biology and led the team that processed the box-corer samples.
Professor Daniel Jones from the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton is a world authority on physical and image capture and identification of deep-sea fauna and led the team involved with the ROV. Makea Vakatini Ariki Philip Vakatini, Gerald McCormack from Natural Heritage Trust and Laiana Parker from the Ministry of Marine Resources completed the team.
“Anuanua Moana is a great vessel in a great location, and I am very excited for the future of deep-sea science and sustainable development in the Cook Islands.” said Glover “On the regulatory side, how fantastic that we are now already mounting independent research projects as well as planning more for the future.
It really has the potential to be the start of something great and at the end we were all buzzing with ideas. It is also wonderful to see a Licence Holder, Regulator and Academia all working together so collaboratively, positively and openly and I think that is a huge achievement in the Cook Islands that we must build on.”
Jones echoed Glover’s comments, “We were so impressed by the incredible ship and amazing opportunities to learn so much more about the fascinating deep-sea environment around the Cook Islands. It is great to see a strong and positive collaboration between the key stakeholders and I’m pleased that we could be part of this. It was a great trip with a lot accomplished in the short time offshore. “
NHT’s Gerald McCormack also greatly enjoyed the expedition, stating “It’s a fantastic research ship and run so efficiently. It had to be seen in action to be believed. Of course, my interest is in biodiversity, and it was fantastic to have world experts in deep seabed biodiversity like Adrian and Daniel to show us the way.
The Natural Heritage Trust is very grateful for their support. Special thanks to the ROV team for their immense skill and dedication. The retrieval of a deep-sea starfish was a joy to watch. I have put aside my work on mites and Coleus to add the starfish to the national biodiversity database - our first deep seabed species!”
MMR’s Laiana Parker found the expedition an excellent learning opportunity “This marked my first journey aboard a research vessel, so very different from the typical fishing vessels I usually embark upon. I found great pleasure in this voyage and gained fresh insights during this two-day expedition. There's a wealth of knowledge yet to be discovered, and I eagerly anticipate uncovering more in the future.”
Makea Vakatini Ariki Philip was impressed with how the vessel and team operated “The expedition was history in the making and done by a fantastic team. Most professional in every way and situation. We are all most privileged to have the vessel and scientific team here.”
Kiva Marine President and CEO Hans Smit also appreciated the opportunity in this collaboration “It was our privilege to host the DEEPEND team on our wonderful vessel and we are thrilled we were able to participate in this collaboration. It was wonderful to participate in this groundbreaking endeavour and personally it was especially gratifying to spend time observing your team and their activities and to talk through the work being done and about the future work planned in the region.”
SBMA Commissioner Alex Herman appreciated the contribution from all sides to making the expedition a success “SBMA thanks and acknowledges all the partners in the expedition, this is a very exciting milestone for the Cook Islands Government and people.
We are look forward to more of this type of cost-effective independent research being done in our waters. In line with our policies and practices, all the results from this and future such expeditions will be put into the public domain once ready.”
Queries may be directed to Dede Mingi: [email protected]
Source by: Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority