The first SMARTEX expedition (JC241) to the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the Pacific Ocean took place in February-March 2023 sailing from Puerto Caldera in Costa Rica. The aim was to investigate the recovery and changes at a previous experimental test site by mapping the seabed habitat and assessing geochemical, biological and ecosystem changes. Biodiversity and temporal changes in fauna as well spatial dependencies in the fauna were also assessed. Moorings were deployed to measure long term seabed currents. 

The second SMARTEX expedition (JC257) to the CCZ sailed from Costa Rica in February 2024 and built on the work performed during the previous expedition to further assess the biodiversity, geophysics, geochemistry and oceanography of the region. Gliders were deployed to measure deep-water mesoscale eddies and the moorings deployed during JC241 were recovered. Multibeam bathymetry data was used to further map the seafloor and to guide biological sampling as well as discover scientifically novel seafloor features. Biological sampling using a variety of techniques focused on the natural geochemical drivers of biodiversity over different spatial scales to provide baseline data on biodiversity.

You can read all about life on ship from the scientists, engineers and crew on board as well as the exciting science that took place on the JC241 and JC257 cruise blogs.