TWO Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI) international advisers are among of group of scientists heading off to explore the depths of the Celebes Sea in two weeks' time.

Dr. Greg Stone and Dr. Bruce Robison will join fellow scientists in heading the expedition funded by the National Geographic Society.

In an exclusive interview this week, the Mid-Ocean News spoke to Dr. Stone about the prehistoric creatures they hope to discover some 17,000 feet below the waves.

Last year the Society recognised Dr. Stone as one of 12 "Adventurers of the Year" for his work as not only an oceanographer, but also a diplomat, expedition organiser and innovative fundraiser.

However, when asked about organising the Celebes Sea expedition, Dr. Stone raised an eyebrow and said it was probably one of the most impossible places to work.

Three countries ¿ Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia ¿ border the Celebes Sea and none is very trusting of anyone, especially from developed countries, wanting to do any type of exploration.

Dr. Stone said it boiled down to possible commercial exploitation by the West and because of this it was becoming increasingly difficult to do this type of research in areas across the globe.

However, he met with officials in the Philippines because, he said, "they were more open to this sort of thing".

Still, it took them more than four years to get a permit and only then could they look for funding and equipment.

The group will leave Manila on September 23 for the Celebes Sea, which is about 600 miles across ¿ roughly the distance between Bermuda and the United States coastline ¿- and goes down between 16,000 and 17,000 feet.

"The reason it's so interesting is that this area surrounding it has the highest shallow water biodiversity of anywhere on the planet," he added.

While the numbers of coral reef fish, algae and shellfish differ from place to place, the Celebes Sea has the highest percentage of anywhere on the planet.

"There is probably somewhere in the neighbourhood of 2,500 to 3,000 coral reef fishes. Bermuda has only several hundred, so it gives you a scale."

Another reason the Celebes Sea is of interest to scientists is because of Antarctic Bottom Water ¿- or rather the lack of it in the Celebes Sea. Dr. Stone explained that 25 million years ago the passage between South America and the Antarctic opened up.

Before this happened the Antarctic wasn't very cold, but when it became isolated and the ocean started flowing around it, making it colder, icecaps started forming and the Antarctic, as we know it today, was formed.

Dr. Stone said this resulted in the ocean around it literally "chilling" and sinking, forming what is known as the Antarctic Bottom Water which flows down to the bottom of all the oceans on the planet and circulates around the globe, making the deep ocean very cold.

"It changed everything down there," he said. "But the Celebes Sea, where we are going, has a shallow rim and therefore has never been exposed to this deep Antarctic Bottom Water.

What lurks down there? Dr. Stone hopes to find some ancient creatures, relics of the Miocene period.

He used the Coelacanth as an example.

Until a few years ago, this prehistoric fish was thought to be extinct, but fishermen regularly catch these unusual looking fish in deep water. And they are believed to originate from the Celebes Sea.

"So we have some evidence that there are ancient creatures there," he said. "We're wondering what's 17,000 feet down in an area that has never been studied and has been insulated from this cold water incursion which has fundamentally changed places all over the world."

He described the area as a "time capsule of sorts" and added that while they wouldn't find any dinosaurs, hopefully they would come across a whole host of new species, possibly deepwater fish, crab or even new species of shrimp.

Four head scientists, including Dr. Stone and Dr. Robison, will lead the expedition, which also includes a team of 20.

Dr. Stone said they would use a remotely-operated vehicle, or ROV, to explore the depths, taking high quality photographs. An ingenious "rope-cam", designed by acclaimed National Geographic photographer Emory Kristof, consists of a camera, lights and bait container that can be lowered down some 6,000 feet.

The bait container is opened by remote, which also activates the lights, luring fish from the deep to take a nibble and allowing scientists a rare glimpse at what lurks below, while Dr. Stone hopes to do some blue water diving to depths of 150 feet.

While National Geographic is expected to publish its findings late next year, Dr. Stone plans to return to Bermuda to share his findings with BUEI and the public before then and says a book is not out of the question.

His Ice Island won the National Outdoor Book Award for Nature and the Environment in 2003 and chronicles his expedition to track the largest known iceberg in history through the seas of the Antarctic.

Dr. Stone is also excited about a blog documenting the day-to-day activities during the Celebes Sea expedition, which goes online next week on the National Geographic web site.