Recent Portuguese technological advances benefiting deep-sea biological research

Abstract

Recently the exploitation of deep-sea resources, particularly the mesopelagic species, is gaining interest, as they are perceived as assets with significant potential for the pharmaceutical and food industries. But, despite some research programmes focused on their study, the existing technologies and methodologies are a major drawback, especially in Portugal. To increase the knowledge on deep-sea species, the HiperSea project developed competences and technologies through the construction of a hyperbaric system to capture living specimens in the seabed and the water column at high depths, transferring them to the surface and maintaining them alive in a hyperbaric aquarium.