Scientists exploring life along Gulf of St. Lawrence seabed

CHETICAMP, N. S. • A scientific expedition in the Gulf of St. Lawrence is revealing never-before seen images of odd and valuable marine life.

Federal researchers have joined with the non-profit group Oceana Canada to use a $6-million robotic submersible, known as ROPOS, to explore the seabed, and livestream sometimes spectacular high-definition video.

“The Gulf of St. Lawrence has never been explored with the type of technology we have,” Oceana’s science director, Robert Rangeley, said Monday from Cheticamp, N.S., where the two ship expedition was poised to begin another week of exploring the Gulf’s depths.

“There’s hardly been any camera work at all.”

Alexandra Cousteau, granddaughter of the famous French filmmaker Jacques Cousteau, is part of the expedition and an adviser to Oceana, an international ocean conservation group.

“It’s such a thrill to be part of something that has never been done before,” she said.

The recent deaths of at least 10 endangered North Atlantic right whales in the Gulf has focused international attention on the importance of the vast area.

Cousteau said previous studies have typically relied on the use of underwater sleds dragged along the ocean floor and later hoisted to the surface for inspection.

“What they got at the surface was broken,” she said. “They had no idea how the species were interacting. We’ve been able to see how that whole neighbourhood works.”

The expedition started last week off the coast of Quebec’s Anticosti Island, then moved to the American Bank, a submarine cliff lying off the eastern tip of Quebec’s Gaspe Peninsula. More exploration is expected this week off the west coast of Cape Breton.