During the most recent Ocean Census expedition, scientists from the Ocean Census Science Network collaborated with the Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI) team to identify 20 potentially new marine species.
“The seamounts of the Southeastern Pacific host remarkable biological diversity, with species found nowhere else to date,” said Prof. Alex David Rogers, Science Director of The Ocean Census.
A growing number of discoveries
This expedition focused on the Nazca Ridge, an underwater mountain range located 900 miles off the coast of Chile.
This voyage marks the third expedition this year to explore the Salas y Gómez and Nazca Ridges for the Schmidt Ocean Institute, an member of the Ocean Decade Alliance, and its state-of-the-art research vessel, R.V. Falkor (too).
Earlier SOI expeditions in January and February revealed over 150 species previously unknown to science, along with many instances of animals being observed in new areas.
Before these SOI expeditions, only 1,019 species had been documented in this part of the Pacific Ocean. Thanks to these efforts, that number has now surpassed 1,300 and continues to grow.
The new findings will be submitted to the Ocean Census, an initiative endorsed by the Ocean Decade that aims to boost ocean exploration by 2030.
Species never seen before
The team on board SOI’s Falkor (too) successfully captured the first-ever footage of a live Promachoteuthis squid, a genus so elusive that only three species have been identified, with most specimens collected dating back to the late 1800s. Previously, the genus was known only from dead specimens retrieved from nets.
Additionally, the expedition documented a Casper octopus, marking the first time this species has been observed in the Southern Pacific. The team also encountered two rare Bathyphasa siphonophores, commonly referred to as flying spaghetti monsters.
“The work our taxonomists have conducted aboard Falkor (too), supported by the Schmidt Ocean Institute team, will significantly enhance our understanding of the distribution of remarkable life forms on these underwater mountains, including several that have never before been mapped or seen by human eyes,” said Prof. Alex David Rogers, Science Director of The Ocean Census.
Mapping a new seamount
The newly identified seamount, discovered during SOI’s Nazca Ridge expedition, stands over 1.9 miles tall, and hosts a vibrant deep-sea ecosystem.
During an exploratory dive, the team used an underwater ROV to document sponge gardens and ancient corals on one of its ridges.
This article was originally published on the Ocean Census website.
Photos credits: Schmidt Ocean Institute