In November and December 2018, GEOSIGHT Principal Surveyor Brian Gamet mobilised to the Caribbean to join the expedition during drydocking of the vessel “DSSV Pressure Drop” at DAMEN shipyards in Curacao. During dry docking of the vessel, Brian was responsible for the installation and commissioning of a Kongsberg EM124 deep water multibeam echosounder, arguably the most advanced underwater sonar to be installed on a civilian vessel anywhere in the world.
The EM124 has now successfully identified and verified the deepest point in the Puerto Rico trench at 8,376 meters/27,480 feet, a depth which explorer Victor Vescovo, in his solo mission, became the first human in history to dive to. The Expedition have now also successfully dived to the deepest point in the Southern Ocean – in the southern portion of the South Sandwich Trench – at 7,433.6 meters/24,388.
A ground-breaking documentary series about the expedition is also being filmed by Atlantic Productions for Discovery Channel, and will air in 2019/2020.
Follow the expedition here: https://fivedeeps.com/
