Exo-Ocean Exploration with Deep-Sea Sensor and Platform Technologies

19 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables.-- Final publication is available from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/ast.2019.2129One of Saturn's largest moons, Enceladus, possesses a vast extraterrestrial ocean (i.e., exo-ocean) that is increasingly becoming the hotspot of future research initiatives dedicated to the exploration of putative life. Here, a new bio-exploration concept design for Enceladus' exo-ocean is proposed, focusing on the potential presence of organisms across a wide range of sizes (i.e., from uni- to multicellular and animal-like), according to state-of-the-art sensor and robotic platform technologies used in terrestrial deep-sea research. In particular, we focus on combined direct and indirect life-detection capabilities, based on optoacoustic imaging and passive acoustics, as well as molecular approaches. Such biologically oriented sampling can be accompanied by concomitant geochemical and oceanographic measurements to provide data relevant to exo-ocean exploration and understanding. Finally, we describe how this multidisciplinary monitoring approach is currently enabled in terrestrial oceans through cabled (fixed) observatories and their related mobile multiparametric platforms (i.e., Autonomous Underwater and Remotely Operated Vehicles, as well as crawlers, rovers, and biomimetic robots) and how their modified design can be used for exo-ocean explorationThis work was developed within the framework of the Tecnoterra Associate Unit (ICM-CSIC/UPC) and the following project activities: ARIM (Autonomous Robotic sea-floor Infrastructure for benthopelagic Monitoring; MartTERA ERA-Net Cofound; PIs: J.A., S.F., and L.T.), ARCHES (Autonomous Robotic Networks to Help Modern Societies; German Helmholtz Association; PI: S.F.), RESBIO (TEC2017-87861-R; Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades; PIs: J.d.R., J.A.). M.M.F.’s work was partially funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration through grant number NNX15AG42G. C.L.’s work was partially funded by the H2020-EU IF Maria Sklodowska Curie ‘‘HABISS’’ (Project 890815)With the funding support of the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S), of the Spanish Research Agency (AEI