▁and ▁American ▁contin ental ▁pl ates . ▁New ▁ocean ▁floor ▁is ▁constantly ▁being ▁formed , ▁and ▁I cel and ▁and ▁the ▁Az ores ▁are ▁vol can ic ▁islands ▁created ▁when ▁the ▁mid - o cean ▁r idge ▁breaks ▁the ▁sea ▁surface . ▁The ▁groups ▁of ▁animals ▁to ▁be ▁studied ▁are ▁fish es , ▁cr ust ace ans , ▁ce phal op ods ▁( squ ids ) ▁and ▁a ▁wide ▁range ▁of ▁gel atin ous ▁animals ▁( e . g . ▁jel ly fish ) ▁living ▁either ▁near ▁the ▁se ab ed ▁or ▁in ▁mid water ▁above ▁the ▁r idge . ▁ ▁The ▁research ▁programme ▁Census ▁of ▁Marine ▁Life ▁seriously ▁addresses ▁this ▁situation ▁and ▁challeng es ▁marine ▁bi olog ists ▁to ▁util ize ▁the ▁most ▁advanced ▁technology ▁to ▁achieve ▁true ▁new ▁information ▁in ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁ocean ▁that ▁were ▁poor ly ▁studied ▁previously . ▁The ▁project ▁MAR - E CO , ▁an ▁element ▁of ▁the ▁Census ▁of ▁Marine ▁Life , ▁r ises ▁to ▁the ▁challenge ▁and ▁investig ates ▁the ▁diverse ▁animal ▁life ▁along ▁the ▁vast ▁under water ▁mountain ▁ch ains ▁of ▁the ▁open ▁ocean . ▁ ▁History ▁MAR - E CO ▁adopt s ▁the ▁most ▁advanced ▁technology ▁and ▁instruments ▁for ▁obser ving ▁and ▁sample ▁the ▁animals ▁and ▁to ▁tack le ▁the ▁challenge ▁of ▁working ▁to ▁ 3 5 0 0 ▁m ▁depth ▁and ▁in ▁rug ged ▁terrain . ▁An ▁international ▁mult id is cipl inary ▁team ▁of ▁bi olog ists , ▁ocean ograph ers , ▁and ▁engine ers ▁is ▁offered ▁this ▁rare ▁opportunity .