Gizmodo has an article about a "
Large Underwater Observatory Disappears Without a Trace, Baffling Scientists." From the article:
The underwater observatory, which had been on the seafloor since December 2016, is managed by the GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research Kiel and the Helmholtz Center Geesthacht (HZG). On August 21 at 8:15 p.m. local time, transmissions from the €300,000 ($330,000) station came to a sudden halt. Divers were dispatched to the site, only to find—much to their astonishment—that the entire structure was gone, save for a shredded transmission cable, according to a GEOMAR statement.
The observatory was in a restricted area off the northern coast of Germany. Boats, including fishing vessels, are not allowed into the area, the BBC reported. That somebody, or a group of individuals, removed the observatory remains the most plausible explanation. Other factors, such as a massive storm, heavy currents, or even marine animals, were ruled out as potential causes owing to the weight of the instrument. Who or what removed the science station, and why, is a complete mystery. German police were alerted to the incident and are now investigating, according to GEOMAR.
The article adds:
The disappearance is reminiscent of sunken naval ships that are likewise vanishing from the ocean floor. In those cases, looters are suspected of tearing the ships apart for scrap. Perhaps something similar is happening here, though it’s not clear what value this monitoring station, equipped with an assortment of scientific instruments, might have for looters.
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