A Heavyweight in the water

Jul 19, 2022

Seafloor drill rig successfully tested before next expedition.

Before each expedition, the functions of the MARUM-Mebo200 are checked in the test pool. Photo: MARUM - Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, V. Diekamp.

Before and after each expedition, MARUM's marine technology equipment is not only maintained, but also subjected to a thorough inspection. This was also the case last week: the seafloor drill rig, MARUM-MeBo200 for short, was moved out of the technical hall and lowered into the 5-meter-deep test pool on the MARUM facility grounds with the help of a large crane.

The pool test is part of the usual expedition preparation: At the end of the maintenance period, all functions are checked again under almost expedition-typical conditions. The technology of the 10-ton MARUM-MeBo200 is subjected to various tests in the water and using the high-voltage power supply.

Research expeditions are expensive and time-consuming - it is therefore all the more important that the technology on board functions reliably and is available to the scientists in the best possible condition.

The next expedition on which the seafloor drilling rig will be used will start at the beginning of September in Reykjavik, Iceland. Under the scientific leadership of MARUM staff member Michal Kucera, the researchers will travel with the MARIA S. MERIAN and, among other things, attempt to drill 100 meters deep into the ocean floor in Baffin Bay. The scientific results of the expedition contribute to the research of the Cluster of Excellence "The Ocean Floor - Earth’s Uncharted Interface", which is based at MARUM.

The MARUM-MeBo200 is the second generation of the MARUM-developed seafloor drill rig, a robotic drilling device that is set down on the seafloor to drill cores - controlled from the ship - and collect high-quality samples from the seafloor. It was developed by MARUM in collaboration with Bauer Maschinen GmbH as part of a project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

The MARUM-MeBo200 is lifted into the test pool with the help of a large forklift and a crane. Photo: MARUM - Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, Uni Bremen, V. Diekamp

More info about MARUM MeBo200