No. Abyss Salvage is an idle game: the rig mines by itself the whole time, including while the tab is closed or the browser is shut. You only step in to spend salvage on modules and to decide how the reactor power is split between them.

Pips are the limited power your reactor produces, shared between four systems: Drill (income), Thrust (descent speed), Hull (pressure resistance) and Lumen (how much you can see, which multiplies your yield in dark water). Put pips into whichever system the current depth is straining — the Power tab names the weakest link — and give the rest to the Drill.

The current at that depth has cancelled out your thrust. Raise Thrusters, or move a reactor pip onto Thrust, and you will start descending again. The Thrusters row tells you the depth your current thrust can push to.

Integrity only drains when you are deeper than your hull can hold, which happens if you override the depth limiter. If it hits zero the rig makes an emergency ascent to the deepest safe depth and the limiter switches back on. You do not lose salvage, modules or Pearls — you lose the time.

Pearls are permanent. They raise your salvage income and every module rating, and the rating bonus is what lets the next rig sit deeper than this one could. Refit when progress has clearly stalled — when upgrades have got expensive and you have not gained depth in a while. The payout counts both your record depth and the total you hauled that run.

The sea floor is at 40,000 metres and it is genuinely reachable, though it takes several refits to build a rig that can survive down there. On the way you pass eleven bands, from the continental shelf through the hadal deep and into the rock below the seabed.

Yes, automatically in your browser, so you can close the tab and come back later. Salvage collected while you were away is waiting for you when you return, at half rate and capped by how long you were gone.