Key points
- Expedition 5C sampled biological communities, organic flux and food web structure from the ocean surface down to the benthic boundary layer above the abyssal seafloor.
- Researchers conducted the deepest pelagic biota sampling ever performed, reaching depths of 4,000 meters in the Eastern Tropical Pacific.
- The expedition was TMC’s fourth environmental research campaign of 2021, part of a $75 million multi-year deep-sea research program.
- Findings add to the baseline dataset collected on the NORI-D block, sponsored by the Republic of Nauru, used to assess potential impacts of nodule collection.
