We’re going to the Deep Arctic!

Aerial view of research vessel the Deep Arctic Expedition doing ROV operations.

We know less about the deep sea than the surface of the moon. Every visit to the Arctic deep brings something totally new to science.

So for the first time, Greenpeace is conducting a unique deep sea expedition in Arctic waters.

Together with a team of scientists from various renowned research institutions and a research vessel equipped with the scientific technology for exploring the deep sea, we are launching a mission into the last unmapped frontier on Earth.

Greenpeace campaigner and marine biologist Franziska Saalmann, Deep sea scientists Dr Jenny Neuhaus and Dr Anne-Nina Lörz from the Senckenberg Society for Nature Research: Sieving and selecting samples of small deep sea organisms taken at an underwater seamount after the ROV (Remote Underwater Vehicle, visible in the background) returned on deck.

Why the Arctic

The Arctic Deep is home to unique wildlife – from deep diving whales and tiny octopuses to ecosystems with deep sea corals and ancient sponge gardens, the oldest life forms on the planet. Along the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge, underwater volcanoes and hot springs create oases of life in the freezing dark. These magical but fragile hotspots are wonders of nature that deserve to be both famous and protected.

Scyphozoan Jellyfish.

A selection of deep sea creatures that are found in the Arctic.

Yet the Arctic is one of the least protected marine regions, and the one most affected by climate change. What happens in the deep sea affects the rest of the ocean, climate and life on Earth, and we will show the world why we need to Protect the Oceans.

Here’s what we’re doing in the deep ocean

1. Scientific research – studying habitats and species at risk:
The team of scientists on board will be hard at work gathering scientific evidence of the diversity and distribution of fauna in Arctic deep-sea ecosystems, with particular focus on vulnerable, rare, and undescribed species. Who knows what they’ll find!

2. Bring the deep sea to people’s hearts and minds:
We’ll be sharing with YOU all along the journey, through incredible and immersive visuals and new stories about the Arctic deep-sea. Our underwater robots will be descending thousands of metres into the Arctic deep to discover and document what we cannot afford to lose, providing the scientific evidence needed to protect these ecosystems. You can catch the livestream here.

3. Political agenda-setting – making the case for Arctic protection:
Using the scientific evidence from the expedition to strengthen the case for why we should protect our oceans, we will continue to call on leaders and policymakers to establish Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and long-term protection of the Arctic deep sea.

Bamboo Coral Garden, 1st day of the divestream. B Crew onboard watching the livestream.

This is not just an expedition; it is a mission to what might be the origin of life itself. In the Arctic deep sea, time moves differently, ancient species thrive in the dark, and the very secrets of how life began are locked in geothermal oases along the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge. While the world above warms, this hidden wilderness still remains a silent guardian of our climate. If not protected, we risk irreversible damage to thousands and even million year old ecosystems that can not be re-built – it will likely be gone forever. We are diving down there to document what we cannot afford to lose, and to secure a global marine sanctuary in these high seas. Join us as we uncover the secrets of the deep to protect its future.

Listen to the science. Protect the deep sea.