Honu Research Platform

Recent estimates have found that the Mesopelagic Zone is home to 70-90% of the ocean’s biomass. This incredible biome is now in danger of exploitation by industrial fishing. We are developing a model for exploration in this critical region that brings sustainable tourism and scientific research together. Under construction are two 3-person research submersibles and a support vessel capable of diving to 1,200 meters. The submersibles will be classed for both tourism and research and the business plan for the operation is based on the former supporting the latter. Each submersible is outfitted with instruments and sensors to record a wide variety of oceanographic data, map the seafloor, and collect geologic and biological samples. The first Honu research platform will be deployed in French Polynesia in late 2025. We feel that this platform is replicable in other regions and will provide access for science and the public to one of the most importantand least studied biomes on the planet.