Jean-Damien BERGERON, Associate Director of ABYSSA and mission leader for the SEAMONTI expedition, presents the mission for France 3 Corse Viastella
Under the technical and scientific direction of ABYSSA, and with the financial support of the European Union – NextGenerationEU, France Relance and the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB), a deepsea oceanographic survey was conducted off the coast of Corsica between May 26 and June 12, 2022.
The SEAMONTI expedition, so named by the OFB, was carried out within the framework of a Research and Development project with the Marine Natural Park of Cap Corse and Agriate (PNMCCA) and the OFB’s Delegation of Mediterranean Sea Façade (DFM).
On board DRASSM’s magnificent vessel “Alfred Merlin” and using ECA Robotics’ A18D Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), two deep areas were explored west of Corsica: a seamount off Ajaccio and another off the Agriate.
The objective of this campaign is to carry out an initial survey of the environment using a device for exploring deep geomorphological structures unsing an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) and to produce scientific knowledge on this type of habitat.
