NE Atlantic dump zone, ~1,200 km off the Bay of Biscay
#00127
Implements
#00122 Tiered deep-sea survey: AUV wide-area mapping then crewed/ROV close inspection
Implementer
CNRS-led NODSSUM project (with Ifremer, ASNR and partners), aboard R/V L'Atalante
Timeline
Jun 15, 2025 – Jul 11, 2025
Location
Description
First NODSSUM campaign (wide-area survey tier): the AUV Ulyx — on its first scientific deployment — flew lawnmower tracks over the abyssal plain at ~6 m above the seabed, acquiring high-resolution imagery assembled into georeferenced mosaics. The survey covered a 14,500 km² dump zone at depths >4,700 m, locating 3,355 individual drums and producing the target list for the planned 2026 crewed/ROV close-inspection campaign. Approximately 50 drums were observed at close range during this first tier, providing initial direct observations before the dedicated inspection phase.
Metrics
3Funding
Lessons learned
- AUV lawnmower-track mapping at ~6 m altitude over a 14,500 km² abyssal plain successfully converted a blind search into a drum-by-drum georeferenced target list — a prerequisite for cost-effective selective crewed inspection.
- Wide-area AUV mapping must precede crewed/ROV inspection to make the second tier operationally viable; without the target list, selective close inspection of scattered metre-long drums across thousands of km² is not feasible.