life under pressure - two oceans aquarium · 2016. 2. 5. · dominique barthelemy head of aquarium...

AbyssBox Life under pressure

Dominique Barthelemy Head of Aquarium Océanopolis

1/ IAC Cape Town, 09/2012

Over the past twenty years, aquarium techniques have evolved making it possible to keep in captivity more and more delicate marine fauna

But the deep-sea environment remains one of the last unexplored fields of aquariology

2 / IAC Cape Town, 09/2012

Introduction

Université Pierre et Marie Curie

Ifremer

Born in 2009, the AbyssBox project was initiated by three partners :

First permanent display of live animals collected around deep-sea hydrothermal vents and kept in tanks that recreate the pressure of their original habitat

Océanopolis

The AbyssBox project


•  Opportunities of oceanographic campaigns

Project difficulties

Pressure is key of this project !

•  Deep-sea fauna collection

• On board sustaining of the animals

• Transit to Océanopolis

•  Long term sustaining of the animals (lack of knowledge about their biology)

•  Design of pressurized tanks to host the animals

•  Safety and viability of the tanks

•  Operating and equipments costs


Atmospheric pressure (about 1 kg/cm2, or 14

pounds/inch2)

A « bunch » of units : Pa, MPa, Bar, Atmosphere, pounds / inch2, kg / cm2

Surface

1000 m

10,900 m Mariana Trench

3800 m average

depth

Pressure is the effect of a force applied to a surface. Hydrostatic pressure at a certain depth results from the weight of the water column above

How do organisms respond to pressure variations ?

What is pressure ?


Large pressure variations lead to alterations at different levels

• membrane fluidity • intra-cellular pH • cytoskeleton • nucleic acid and protein synthesis

• protein complexes

• lipid bilayers

Molecules : Cell :

Organism :

abnormal cleavages • Larval development :

• behavior : Paralysis / hyperactivity / spasms / loss of coordination


Depending on organisms

High mortality rates during and just after deep-sea collection

Depending on Depth

Stress factors: Pressure and temperature variations handling, ..

How capturing deep-sea animals affects their chances of survival


Oceanographic Ship Océanopolis

Pressurized tank Pressurized tank

From deep-sea environment…to Océanopolis


The pressure conditions of the collecting site must be reproduced at

the surface to restore a good physiological state

Target species

Segonzacia mesatlantica Mirocaris fortunata


Lucky Strike Hydrothermal Field

(1800 m)

Collecting deep-sea fauna

Ship the « Pourquoi Pas ? » (Ifremer), Momarsat campaign (Ifremer / IPG)

ROV « Victor 6000 » Ifremer

Fauna vacuum pump



(1800 m)


Pressurized Tank : IPOCAMP



Océanopolis, Brest


(1800 m)




Requirements : Based on research tank IPOCAMP (Pressure, Temperature and Water flow control) with the

following additional features:

- A large porthole

- Food insertion without pressure loss

- Safety features for public display and the long term sustaining of the animals

Designing the AbyssBox


Pressure and Temperature control

Adjustable back pressure valve

Cryothermostat

High pressure pump

Hotspot

AbyssBox


Characteristics of the AbyssBox

•  Volume : 16 liters

•  Service Pressure : from 1 to 200 bar (2000 meters)

•  Water Flow : 10 to 12 l/h

•  Service Temperature : 2 to 50°C

•  Cooling / Heating : Global + Hotspot

•  Weight : 600 kg


Food

Feeding without pressure loss Food

Large porthole, similar to those of submarines (see Nautile, Alvin, Shinkaï ..)

Characteristics of the AbyssBox


Safety

« Human Occupied Vehicle » Porthole norm

No pressurized gas

Bursting discs (circuit) and pressure valves (viewport)

PMMA pannels between the vistors and the

AbyssBoxes

Pressure and temperature alarm reports


End of October, 2011 : Delivery of two AbyssBoxes

at Oceanopolis

Delivery


Exhibit layout

A container lab


Opening on Avril 7th, 2012


Oceanographic Ship

No decompression transfer to a pressurized tank

No decompression capture and ascent to the surface

( Isobaric capture )

Next step ? 22 / IAC Cape Town, 09/2012

PERISCOP Isobaric capture of deep-sea fauna


Isobaric capture

BALIST Constant pressure line

PERISCOP Isobaric capture of

deep sea fauna

Interested in joining in ?...


Toward displaying deep-sea fish ?

Thank you for your kind attention !


life under pressure - two oceans aquarium · 2016. 2. 5. · dominique barthelemy head of aquarium...

Documents