A month long exploration of hidden canyons beneath the ocean has helped scientists unlock secrets of how waterways work.
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00:00A ship living up to its name, the RV investigator has spent a month at sea researching the mysteries
00:07of the deep.
00:08We saw a stingray down at almost 3,000 metres.
00:13We saw all sorts of wildlife down in the depths that we weren't expecting.
00:18While surveying previously unseen underwater submarine canyons which lie off the East Australian
00:24coastline.
00:25As deep cliffs and ravines descend down the continental shelf to the seabed four kilometres
00:30below.
00:31And scientists believe it's crucial to how coastal ecosystems work.
00:35The waters around Australia are actually pretty low in nutrients, however the deep waters
00:40are actually a reservoir of nutrients and the key to the game is to get those deep nutrients
00:46up.
00:47Using a combination of radar and camera technology, the team was able to reveal what they're now
00:51calling seafloor superhighways.
00:54It was amazing looking at the towed camera and the fish life down at the bottom of those
00:59canyons 3,000 metres deep and the landforms.
01:03Indigenous rangers now have a better understanding of the marine life in their care.
01:07Knowing what the seafloor looks like is just highly important to us, knowing what species
01:13to look after.
01:15We do have a responsibility to look after what we call as kin.
01:19The mission for the crew of the Investigator is now complete but these scientists won't
01:24be back on the open water any time soon.
01:26They now have years of data to sift through.
01:29This voyage makes an impact, that we start to think about submarine landforms more.
01:34And who knows what other mysteries are still lying beneath the surface.