A dome-fronted submersible sinks beneath the waves off Indonesia, heading down nearly 1,000 metres in search of new species, plastic-eating microbes and compounds that could one day make medicines.
This month, AFP boarded one of two submersibles belonging to OceanX, a non-profit backed by billionaire Ray Dalio and his son that brings scientists onto its OceanXplorer ship to study the marine world.
kAm%96 D9:A 3@2DED =23D 7@C 86?6E:4 D6BF6?4:?8[ 2 96=:4@AE6C 7@C 26C:2= DFCG6JD 2?5 2 C6>@E6=J @A6C2E65 G69:4=6 W#~'X 42A23=6 @7 56D46?5:?8 FA E@ e[___ >6EC6D W`h[f__ 766EX F?56C E96 @462? DFC7246]k^Am
kAmxED EH@ DF3>6CD:3=6D 92G6 6G6CJE9:?8 7C@> 9J5C2F=:4 4@==64E:@? 2C>D 2?5 DF4E:@? EF36D E@ 9:89\567:?:E:@? 42>6C2D[ 2==@H:?8 E96> E@ F?4@G6C E96 :>AC@323=6 =:76 7@F?5 :? D@>6 @7 E96 92CD96DE 4@?5:E:@?D @? t2CE9]k^Am
kAm%96 D9:AVD =2E6DE >:DD:@? 7@4FD6D @? 2 D62>@F?E 492:? @77 x?5@?6D:2VD $F=2H6D: :D=2?5 E92E D4:6?E:DED @? 3@2C5 >2AA65 =2DE J62C]k^Am
kAmp ?6H E62> @7 x?5@?6D:2? D4:6?E:DED :D ?@H DFCG6J:?8 :ED 3:@5:G6CD:EJ[ :?4=F5:?8 H:E9 DF3>6CD:3=6 5:G6D E92E AFE E96 C6D62C496CD C:89E :?E@ E96 6?G:C@?>6?E E96J 2C6 DEF5J:?8]k^Am
kAmpD E96 DF3 5C@AA65 36=@H a__ >6EC6D[ E96 =2DE EC246D @7 =:89E 5:D2AA62C65[ 2?5 :?5:8@ 72565 :?E@ E@E2= 52C<?6DD]k^Am
kAmwFD?2 }F8C292AC2;2[ 2? x?5@?6D:2? D4:6?E:DE @? E96 >:DD:@?[ 25>:EE65 766=:?8 Q2 =:EE=6 3:E ?6CG@FD 2?5 2?I:@FDQ 2D 96 56D46?565 @? 9:D 7:CDE DF3>6CD:3=6 EC:A]k^Am
kAmxE :D 2 QG6CJ =@?6=JQ 6?G:C@?>6?E 2E 7:CDE[ E96 2DD:DE2?E AC@76DD@C 2E x?DE:EFE %6<?@=@8: q2?5F?8 E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAm%96 4C27EVD =:89ED @776C65 E96 @?=J :==F>:?2E:@?[ C6G62=:?8 5C:7ED @7 Q>2C:?6 D?@HQ \\ 2 D9@H6C @7 563C:D[ :?4=F5:?8 564@>A@D:?8 2?:>2=D[ E92E 72==D 4@?E:?F@FD=J :?E@ E96 56AE9D 2?5 4C62E6D E96 :>AC6DD:@? @7 2? @=5 E6=6G:D:@? DEF4< 36EH66? DE2E:@?D]k^Am
kAm|2C:?6 =:76 E92E >@DE A6@A=6 ?6G6C D66 7=@2E65 :?E@ G:6H[ :?4=F5:?8 56=:42E6 4@>3 ;6==:6D H:E9 AF=D:?8 72:CJ\=:89E :==F>:?2E:@?D 2=@?8 E96:C D:56D]k^Am
kAm$:A9@?@A9@C6D \\ =2C86=J EC2?D=F46?E 4C62EFC6D :? 72?4:7F= D92A6D C6D6>3=:?8 E@55=6CDV 5C2H:?8D \\ 8=@H65 2D E96J 5C:7E65 3J[ 2?5 D:=G6C[ 7:?86C?2:=\D:K65 7:D9 D<:EE6C65 @FE @7 E96 DF3VD H2<6]k^Am
kAmu:?2==J[ wFD?2 D2:5[ QH6 2CC:G6 @? E96 D62 365]]] WH96C6X H6 42? D66 >2?J F?:BF6 @C82?:D>DQ[ 7C@> 56=:42E6 D62 DE2CD E@ 7C@?565 D@7E 4@C2=D]k^Am
k9am\ V"F:E6 5:776C6?EV \k^9am
kAm~462?)A=@C6CVD }6AEF?6 DF3>6CD:3=6 :D 56D:8?65 7@C D4:6?E:7:4 4@==64E:@? 2?5 @3D6CG2E:@?[ H9:=6 :ED }25:C G6DD6= 92D 9:89\6?5 42>6C2D 2?5 =:89ED 7@C >65:2 4@?E6?E]k^Am
kAm%92E C67=64ED ~462?)VD G:6H E92E 4@>A6==:?8 :>286D >2<6 C6D62C49 >@C6 2446DD:3=6 2?5 :>A24E7F=]k^Am
kAm%96 DF3D 5@ ?@E 8@ 2D 566A 2D 2? #~'[ 3FE @776C 2 F?:BF6 G:6H[ 6IA=2:?65 s2G6 !@==@4<[ H9@ 9625D ~462?)VD DF3>6CD:3=6 E62>]k^Am
kAmQ(6 86E 2 =@E @7 D4:6?E:DED 4@>6 @? H9@ 2C6 G6CJ D46AE:42= 23@FE DF3D[Q 96 E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAmQ!C6EEJ >F49 H:E9@FE 72:= 6G6CJ D46AE:42= D4:6?E:DE E92E 4@>6D @? 3@2C5 H9@ 86ED E@ 8@ @? 2 5:G6 492?86D E96:C @A:?:@?]Qk^Am
kAm%96 ?62C=J be_\568C66 G:6H 8:G6D E96> Q2 E@E2==J 5:776C6?E A6CDA64E:G6Q E@ E96 7=2E G:56@ 765 FA E@ E96 D9:A 3J E96 #~']k^Am
kAmQxEVD BF:E6 5:776C6?E H96? J@F D66 :E J@FCD6=7[Q wFD?2 D2:5] Â k^Am
kAm%96 DF3>6CD:3=6D 2=D@ @776C F?:BF6 6IA6C:6?46D[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 7=2D96D @7 =:89E 42==65 3:@=F>:?6D46?46 E92E >2?J 566A\D62 2?:>2=D AC@5F46 E@ 4@>>F?:42E6[ 7@C 5676?46[ @C E@ 2EEC24E >2E6D]k^Am
kAm%96 G6DD6=VD A@H6C7F= =:89E 362>D 42? 36 FD65 E@ 6=:4:E E96 5:DA=2J]k^Am
kAmu:CDE[ 2== E96 =:89ED 2C6 DH:E4965 @77] tG6? E96 :?E6C?2= 4@?EC@= 3@2C5 :D 4@G6C65[ A=F?8:?8 E96 4C27EVD @44FA2?ED :?E@ E@E2= 52C<?6DD]k^Am
kAm%96? E96 DF3 7=2D96D :ED =:89ED D6G6C2= E:>6DÂ H9:=6 E9@D6 @? 3@2C5 4=@D6 E96:C 6J6D]k^Am
kAm(96? E96J @A6? E96>[ 2 D62D42A6 82=2IJ @7 DE2CD 2AA62CD \\ E96 3=F:D9\H9:E6 7=2D96D @7 4C62EFC6D 7C@> A=2?<E@? 2?5 ;6==J7:D9 E@ D9C:>A 2?5 7:D9 C6DA@?5:?8 E@ E96 DF3 =:89ED]k^Am
kAm!@==@4<[ H9@ 92D DA6?E 9F?5C65D @7 9@FCD 5:G:?8 :? DF3>6CD:3=6D[ 4@F?ED D@>6 @7 E96 >@C6 DA64E24F=2C Q7=2D9324< 3:@=F>:?6D46?46Q 6G6?ED 2D 2>@?8 E96 >@DE >6>@C23=6 >@>6?ED :? 9:D 42C66C]k^Am
kAm$F3>6CD:3=6D 2C6 FD65 :? >2?J 7:6=5D[ 3FE >2?J ?@H 2DD@4:2E6 E96> H:E9 E96 a_ab F?56CH2E6C :>A=@D:@? @7 E96 %:E2?[ H9:49 <:==65 7:G6 A6@A=6 @? 2 EC:A E@ 6IA=@C6 E96 %:E2?:4 HC64<]k^Am
kAm!@==@4< DEC6DD65 E92E[ F?=:<6 %:E2?[ ~462?)A=@C6CVD G69:4=6D 2C6 56D:8?65[ >2?F724EFC65 2?5 :?DA64E65 C68F=2C=J :? 244@C52?46 H:E9 :?5FDECJ 3@5J s}']k^Am
kAmQ%96 DF3D 2C6 56D:8?65 D276Q 2?5 6BF:AA65 H:E9 324<\FA DJDE6>D :?4=F5:?8 7@FC 52JD @7 6>6C86?4J =:76 DFAA@CE[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
k9am\ V$@ =:EE=6 H6 <?@HV \k^9am
kAmu@C 566A6C 6IA=@C2E:@?[ E96 D4:6?E:DED C6=J @? ~462?)VD #~'[ @A6C2E65 7C@> 2 7FEFC:DE:4\=@@<:?8 Q>:DD:@? 4@?EC@=Q H96C6 EH@ 4C6H >6>36CD D:E :? 82>6C\DEJ=6 2C>492:CD]k^Am
kAmp 32?< @7 D4C66?D D9@HD E96 =2C86=J 32CC6? D62365[ 2D 2? @A6C2E@C FD6D 2 >F=E:\;@:?E65 ;@JDE:4< E@ @A6C2E6 E96 C@3@EVD 9J5C2F=:4 2C> 7C@> E9@FD2?5D @7 >6EC6D 23@G6]k^Am
kAmxE C6D6>3=6D 2 DA246 >:DD:@?[ H:E9 2? :?EC6A:5 C@G6C EC2G6CD:?8 56D@=2E6 5:DE2?E E6CC2:?] qFE 96C6 E96C6 2C6 2=:6?D]k^Am
kAmpE =62DE E92E :D 9@H D@>6 @7 E96 DA64:6D 6?4@F?E6C65 2AA62C E@ E96 F?EC2:?65 6J6]k^Am
kAm%96C6VD 2 3@?6\H9:E6 =@3DE6C[ DF4E:@?65 FA 7@C 6I2>:?2E:@? 2E E96 DFC7246[ 2?5 2 9@C?65 D62 4F4F>36C H9@D6 >2DE\=:<6 DA:<6D 4@==2AD6 :?E@ 3=24< DA2896EE: H96? :E 2CC:G6D @? E96 D9:A]k^Am
kAmp?5 E96C6VD 2 566A\D62 96C>:E 4C23[ =:G:?8 ?@E :?D:56 2 D96==[ 3FE 2 D62 DE2C E96 E62> 42?VE :>>65:2E6=J :56?E:7J]Â %96 4C23 92D =2:5 =FC:5 @C2?86 688D :?D:56 :ED =@?8\5625 9@DE]k^Am
kAm}@E 6G6CJ 4@==64E:@? :D 2 DF446DDi 2 56=:42E6 C65\@C2?86 D9C:>A 52:?E:=J 6=F56D E96 DF4E:@? EF36[ DH:C=:?8 :ED =@?8 2?E6??2 2D :E DH:>D 2=>@DE EC:F>A92?E=J 36J@?5 C6249]k^Am
kAm(96? E96 #~' C6EFC?D[ E96C6 :D 2? 6I4:E65 52D9 7@C E96 D2>A=6D :?4=F5:?8 D62H2E6C[ D65:>6?E 2?5 2 7@C62C>\=6?8E9 D62 =:=J 4@2E65 H:E9 5C:AA:?8 @C2?86 8@@]k^Am
kAmrCFDE2462? DA64:2=:DE !:A:E !:EC:2?2 7C@> x?5@?6D:2VD }2E:@?2= #6D62C49 2?5 x??@G2E:@? p86?4J :D 72D4:?2E65 3J E96 42AEFC65 =@3DE6C[ 2D H6== 2D D@>6 A62C=\D:K65 32C?24=6D D96 E9:?<D >2J 36 ?6H E@ D4:6?46]k^Am
kAm{2C86 A2CED @7 E96 @462?[ A2CE:4F=2C=J E96 566A D62 7=@@C[ 2C6 ?@E 6G6? >2AA65[ =6E 2=@?6 6IA=@C65]k^Am
kAmp?5 H9:=6 2 ?6H EC62EJ E@ AC@E64E :?E6C?2E:@?2= H2E6CD 6?E6C65 :?E@ 7@C46 E9:D >@?E9[ E96 @462? 7246D E9C62ED 7C@> A=2DE:4 A@==FE:@? 2?5 C:D:?8 E6>A6C2EFC6D E@ 24:5:7:42E:@?]k^Am
kAmQ~FC t2CE9[ @FC D62[ :D >@DE=J 566A D62[Q !:A:E D2:5]k^Am
kAmQqFE]]] E96C6 :D D@ =:EE=6 H6 <?@H 23@FE E96 3:@5:G6CD:EJ @7 E96 566A D62]Qk^Am
kAmD29^>;Hk^Am
