Abyss Box

The Abyss Box is a vessel containing 16 L of water at the very high pressure of 18 megapascals to simulate the natural underwater environment of bathyal fauna living at about 1800 m below the surface. It is on display at Oceanopolis aquarium in Brest, France. It was designed by French researcher Bruce Shillito from Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris.

All the equipment maintaining the extreme pressure inside the Abyss Box weighs 600 kg. The device keeps 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 a higher survival rate in depressurized environments. The fauna on display were collected by Victor 6000, a specialised remotely operated vehicle (ROV).