The Regional Secretary for the Sea, Science and Technology stated in Lajes do Pico that "the scientific knowledge of marine ecosystem is the first step towards the definition of maritime policies."
 
Fausto Brito e Abreu spoke after a dive in the insular slope of Lajes do Pico aboard the submarine LULA1000, one of the 10 existing manned vehicles in the world that is capable of diving to 1,000 metres deep.
 
"Diving to 1,000 metres deep allowed the observation and registration of sensitive species and habitats that are still little known," the Regional Secretary said, stressing that "the Azores deep-sea area, with an extension of millions of square kilometres, hides submerged landscapes that we have only started to unravel a few decades ago."
 
"The mapping of the ocean floors, habitats and the species that inhabit them is essential to know the capabilities and services that marine ecosystems provide us," defended Brito e Abreu.
 
In this context, the Regional Secretary for the Sea said "the knowledge of marine ecosystems enables the Government to define appropriate conservation measures," adding that the findings of LULA1000 contribute to "habitat management and conservation policies in the Atlantic northeast."
 
LULA1000, with capacity for a crew of three people, is being used for deep-sea species documentation and research projects in the Azores Sea as well as for the making of "high quality" videos directed to the general public; the latter "is becoming increasingly aware of the importance of knowing and preserving the natural wonders of the Azores sea."
 
The Secretary for the Sea highlighted the importance of this equipment for the "promotion of the Azores," adding that “several international television channels have come to the archipelago to film our seabed," namely BBC, ITV, National Geographic or NHK.
 
In this regard, Brito e Abreu said the documentary "Life at the Extreme - Deep/Azores, produced on the islands of Faial and Pico, shows a diving in the submarine LULA1000. It was success in the UK.
 
"Some of the scientific studies conducted in the Azores were only possible thanks to this manned submarine,” the government official said, indicating that the dives taking place off south of Pico are intended to make the mapping and inventorying of deep-sea species as well as their audiovisual recording.
 
Operated by the Rebikoff-Niggeler Foundation, LULA 1000 has made over 70 dives in multiple habitats of the Azores sea, unravelling and mapping marine environments that were unknown until then.
 
"The Rebikoff-Niggeler Foundation has contributed to the assertion of the Azores as a rich maritime region in terms of biodiversity that is keen to explore and preserve its marine environment," said Brito e Abreu. He added that "the scientific exploration of oceans is nowadays a goal that all maritime nations and regions are committed to fulfil."
 
The Regional Secretary said the Azores "have asserted themselves in the national and international context as a power in marine science," According to him, "the future centre of international research in the Azores, which will include the Atlantic Observatory, will enhance the centrality and visibility of marine sciences produced by the University of the Azores and research centres, such as IMAR and Okeanos."
 
The Regional Government, through the Regional Directorate for Sea Affairs, has collaborated with Rebikoff-Niggeler Foundation; the submarine LULA1000 is required to participate in activities for a total of 20 hours of immersion per year in oceanographic studies.
 
The Rebikoff-Niggeler Foundation has been headquartered on Faial since 1994 and was awarded the status of public utility institution by the Regional Government in 2000.