NE Atlantic dump zone, ~1,200 km off the Bay of Biscay

Second NODSSUM campaign (close-inspection tier): building on the 2025 AUV wide-area map, ~30 scientists used the crewed submersible Nautile to make 20 dives beyond 4,700 m onto zones of interest identified in the prior survey. The team documented advanced drum degradation — including drums that had spilled contents onto the seabed — and identified encasing materials (resin, bitumen, cement). On-site radiometry confirmed the presence of waste-characteristic radionuclides. The campaign was conducted aboard R/V Pourquoi Pas ? over approximately one month.