DELOS
DELOS (Deep-ocean environmental long-term observatory system) is the only long-term observatory system in the southern hemisphere.
It was deployed by BP in 2009 and the aim of the project is to increase understanding of the deep-water areas where we have facilities offshore and provide long-term monitoring to enhance deep sea scientific research.
Two monitoring platforms have been put in place: one within 50 metres of a sea floor well and a second 16 kilometres from any sea floor infrastructure. The platforms will be deployed for 25 years. During its first 10 years of operation we collected unique data series on oceanographic parameter such as oxygen concentration, salinity, turbidity, and temperature.
Photographic information was also analysed, and we discovered that demersal fish population density in the deep water was following a seasonal pattern. We are still exploring these phenomena but the initial theory is that the seasonality is driven by primary production sedimentation on the seabed.