Deep and Cheap: Developing Cameras For Deep-Sea Science

From 26 – 31 July, 2026, The International SeaKeepers Society assisted researchers from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) with their deep-sea camera trials, supported by DISCOVERY Vessel Lokate and Pelagics Conservation. This expedition marked the first in-water, at-sea test for ZSL’s “Deep and Cheap” camera technology, which aims to give citizen scientists across the globe the ability to collect footage of the deep-sea environment, advancing our knowledge of this largely understudied habitat.

Strong winds initially limited their ability to test the equipment at-sea, but provided sufficient opportunities to conduct vital tests in coastal habitats. The first trial involved checking that the camera was watertight, with the second and third determining which focus is best for collecting useful media in surface water environments. After these preliminary tests, the research team were able to use DISCOVERY Vessel Lokate’s at-sea platform to conduct more extensive in-water assessments.

Their first at-sea test involved dropping the camera to 12m to determine whether it could effectively capture seafloor habitats at depth, with seagrass acting as the focus. This test proved successful, so the researchers lowered the camera to 70m to investigate the limitations of their technology and deployment system. After making adjustments where possible, the team deployed the camera to 80m to further test its effectiveness, and subsequently to 320m, marking the device’s first observation of the deep-sea environment. This final depth is roughly the same distance from the surface as the height of the Eiffel Tower in Paris!

The expedition proved a huge success – the camera technology worked well and constructive learnings were gathered from each test stage. The researchers now aim to further develop the device to make the system and deployment/retrieval process more user-friendly for the citizen science community. They also plan to conduct further at-sea trials in deeper environments to assess the physical limitations of the system, while maintaining the quality of footage previously captured by the camera.