Research Axis 4 - Deep sea exploration and understanding

Deep sea environments are still largely unexplored although they are home to active geological processes that support diverse ecosystems. Information acquisition in these environments is largely dependent on technological advances for sampling and measurements (positioning, mapping and sea bottom image acquisition, geophysical survey, in situ measurements, geological, geochemical and biological sampling thanks to submersibles and ROVs). The current state of knowledge suggests a poorly studied field in terms of biodiversity and resources, be it for energetic, mineral or microbiological resources. Understanding such ecosystems implies a geobiological approach to appreciate links and interactions between the geosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere. Finally the comprehension of natural volcanic and seismic risks requires a detailed knowledge on processes function in their spatial and temporal dimension. Some topics also require repeated observations over time as well as long term continuous observations.