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ORCA is dedicated to the protection and restoration of marine ecosystems and the species they sustain through the development of innovative technologies and science based conservation action.
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 RESEARCHThe Planet’s Final Frontier The ChallengeWe have explored less than 5% of the deep ocean. There are great discoveries to be made and great resources to be tapped: new species, new pharmaceuticals and new industrial compounds. In order to develop effective strategies to preserve and protect these valuable resources we need to greatly expand our understanding. How many animals are there living in the vast depths of the ocean that remain unknown? How many have we never glimpsed because they outrun our nets and avoid our bright and noisy submersibles? What are their critical breeding zones and behaviors that might be inadvertently disrupted by human activities?
The Solution
The Eye-in-the-Sea (EITS) was designed to address these questions. The
autonomous EITS is a programmable, battery-powered camera and recording
system that can be placed on the sea floor and left for 24 to 48 hours
to observe the animal life in the dark depths with as little disturbance
as possible. It uses far red light illumination that is invisible to most
deep-sea inhabitants and an innovative electronic lure that imitates the
bioluminescent burglar alarm display of a common deep-sea jellyfish. A new version of the Eye-in-the-Sea is now under development. This new
system is being designed to go on a deep-water mooring in the Monterey
Canyon. Because the mooring will provide power, we will no longer
be limited to 48-hour deployments. The Eye-in-the-Sea will be able to collect
data continuously for months at a time and stream the video to shore. Finally
we will have a window into the deep-sea, one that we hope will allow us
to view animals and behaviors never seen before. EducationIn order to connect students to the wonderful world of science and help us analyze the large volume of data we expect to collect from the moored Eye-in-the-Sea, we plan to engage school children in this project. It is an exciting opportunity to allow children to participate in real science, to possibly make thrilling new discoveries about life in the deep-sea and to foster a sense of ocean stewardship in the next generation. To accomplish this we are seeking partners (1) to develop curricula tied to state standards, (2) to develop nation-wide distribution networks through schools and other channels (e.g. Boys & Girls Clubs, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, science camps, etc.) and (3) to connect with potential funding sources (e.g. corporate sponsors, foundations, private donors, licensing, etc.). Please call us if you would like to help bring this exciting science and technology program into classrooms across America.
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