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STORY: SEAMOUNT NEWSROOM READY VERSION
SHOT: 27TH SEPTEMBER 2022
DUR: 2.19
SOURCE: NEKTON
RESTRICTIONS: FREE ACCESS ALL PLATFORMS IN PERPETUITY/NO ARCHIVE RESALE. MANDATORY ON SCREEN CREDIT "COURTESY OF NEKTON"
HEADLINE: THE HUNT FOR SATHO RAHAA
STORYLINE
A deep sea mountain off the coast of the Maldives has become the focus of a study by Maldivian and international scientists aboard the Nekton science mission.
Although the peak was marked on navigational charts in the mid-20th century and some mapping attempted since, speculation has raged over its exact depth and size.
The Nekton team from the UK is on a joint expedition with the Maldives Marine Research Institute to map and sample the waters off the lowest lying nation on earth. Painting a fuller picture of the deep sea mountain is one of their top mission goals.
SOUNDBITE DR. AHMED RIYAZ JAUHAREE, MALDIVES MARINE RESEARCH INSTITUTE
"We would like to know what attracts tuna to this seamount and what keeps them aggregated around this seamount.
Historically there has been disagreement about its depth and little is known about its shape.
Estimates vary from its peak lying 15 metres below the surface to more than 300 metres.
Multi-beam mapping technology can slowly create an accurate picture line by line
SOUNDBITE RICH JEONG,SCIENCE OFFICER
"Every time we go by something its going to be one more line that we are building up and finding out out what the seabed looks like and its just using sona "
The topography collected will be used to support Maldivian policymakers as they decide how to best sustainably manage their waters.
Satho Rahaa may also provide clues to a number of unanswered biodiversity questions
SOUNDBITE HUSSEIN ZAHIR, CORAL EXPERT
"Deep sea corals, other fauna, new fish species and also the linkage between what is down below and what is at the surface.
The sea state meant Nekton could not launch its submersibles nor other surveying equipment to explore the seamount
But a clearer picture emerged using sonar technology after more than 12 hours of mapping
SOUNDBITE PROF. LUCY WOODALL, NEKTON PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST
" It's been pretty rough.But what we've found is a feature that's about 15 nautical miles in circumference. The summit is 300 metres from the surface all the way down to 1500 metres at the base. "
STORY: SEAMOUNT CONSUMER READY VERSION
SHOT: 27TH SEPTEMBER 2022
DUR: 2.17
SOURCE: NEKTON
RESTRICTIONS: FREE ACCESS ALL PLATFORMS IN PERPETUITY/ NO ARCHIVE RESALE. MANDATORY ON SCREEN CREDIT "COURTESY OF NEKTON
3 VERSIONS: 16:9, 1:1, 9:16
HEADLINE: THE HUNT FOR SATHO RAHAA
STORYLINE
A deep sea mountain off the coast of the Maldives has become the focus of a study by Maldivian and international scientists aboard the Nekton science mission.
Although the peak was marked on navigational charts in the mid-20th century and some mapping attempted since, speculation has raged over its exact depth and size.
The Nekton team from the UK is on a joint expedition with the Maldives Marine Research Institute to map and sample the waters off the lowest lying nation on earth. Painting a fuller picture of the deep sea mountain is one of their top mission goals.
CAPTIONS
Fishermen call the area Satho Rahaa - in honour of a Japanese scientist who first tried to explore it a generation ago.
It is known to the local fishing fleet and its shark population as a rich source of tuna.
The so-called "seamount" lies just north of the equator.
SOUNDBITE DR. AHMED RIYAZ JAUHAREE, MALDIVES MARINE RESEARCH INSTITUTE
"We would like to know what attracts tuna to this seamount and what keeps them aggregated around this seamount.
Historically there has been disagreement about its depth and little is known about its shape.
Estimates vary from its peak lying 15 metres below the surface to more than 300 metres.
Multi-beam mapping technology can slowly create an accurate picture line by line
SOUNDBITE RICH JEONG,SCIENCE OFFICER
" Every time we go by something its going to be one more line that we are building up and finding out out what the seabed looks like and its just using sonar "
The topography collected will be used to support Maldivian policymakers as they decide how to best sustainably manage their waters.
Satho Rahaa may also provide clues to a number of unanswered biodiversity questions
SOUNDBITE HUSSEIN ZAHIR, CORAL EXPERT
" Deep sea corals, other fauna, new fish species and also the linkage between what is down below and what is at the surface.
The sea state meant Nekton could not launch its submersibles nor other surveying equipment to explore the seamount
But a clearer picture emerged using sonar technology after more than 12 hours of mapping
SOUNDBITE PROF. LUCY WOODALL, NEKTON PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST
" It's been pretty rough.But what we've found is a feature that's about 15 nautical miles in circumference. The summit is 300 metres from the surface all the way down to 1500 metres at the base. "
A multi-dimensional map created by the Nekton team will be eagerly studied by fishermen for whom the waters around the seamount are their livelihood.
The Nekton mission will remain at sea until October 7 and will continue to document the deep reefs of this Indian Ocean nation.
1. Fishing boats at Satho Rahaa seamount, Maldives
2. Sharks and tuna swimming near seamount
3. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) DR. AHMED RIYAZ JAUHAREE, MALDIVES MARINE RESEARCH INSTITUTE
"We would like to know what attracts tuna to this seamount and what keeps them aggregated around this seamount.
4. Boat at seamount
5. Multi-beam maps displayed on large screens in Nekton Mission control room
6. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) RICH JEONG,SCIENCE OFFICER " Every time we go by something its going to be one more line that we are building up and finding out out what the seabed looks like and its just using sonar "
7. Tilt up from watch to face of coral expert Hussein Zahir.
8. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) HUSSEIN ZAHIR, CORAL EXPERT
" Deep sea corals, other fauna, new fish species and also the linkage between what is down below and what is at the surface.
9. Rough seas off seamount
10. Multi-beam sonar image after more than 12 hours of mapping
11. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) PROF. LUCY WOODALL, NEKTON PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST
"It's been pretty rough.But what we've found is a feature that's about 15 nautical miles in circumference. The summit is 300 metres from the surface all the way down to 1500 metres at the base."
12. Multi-dimensional animation of seamount
To download the media briefing in full, please click through on the link below:
28 September 2022
