Abyss Box

The Abyss Box is a vessel containing 16 litres (3.5 imp gal; 4.2 US gal) of water at the very high pressure of 18 megapascal to simulate the natural underwater environment of hadal fauna living at about 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) below the surface. It is on display at Oceanopolis aquarium in Brest, France. All the equipment maintaining the extreme pressure inside the Abyss Box weighs 600 kilograms (1,300 lb). The device will keep deep-dwelling creatures alive so they can be studied, especially regarding their adaptability to warmer ocean temperatures. Currently the Abyss Box houses only common species of deep sea creatures including a deep sea crab, Bythograea thermydron and a deep sea prawn, Pandalus borealis, which are some of the hardier species with the " toughness" to survive short periods of time in depressurized environments. In the future, the Abyss Box will be a continuing occurrence in the deep sea biologist's field of interest.