- More than 100 new species were discovered around a seamount off the coast of Chile .
- Among the never-before-seen creatures spotted on the expedition were corals, glass sponges, sea urchins, amphipods and shrimp . There is also a group of strange fish and squid which, although known to science, are still considered 'strange'.
- The discovery was made by an international group of scientists who recently explored seamounts along the Nazca Ridge and Salas y Gómez, a chain of 200 or so seamounts 2,900 kilometers long that stretches from off the coast of Chile to Rapa Nui, or Easter Island . ] .
- Seamounts are underwater mountains with steep sides which are generally the remains of extinct volcanoes.
More than 100 new species were discovered around a seamount off the coast of Chile. Among the never-before-seen creatures spotted on the expedition were corals, glass sponges, sea urchins, amphipods and shrimp. There is also a group of strange fish and squid which, although known to science, are still considered 'strange'.
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| Deep Sea Expedition: Over 100 New Species Discovered Near Chilean Seamount |
This discovery was made by a group of international scientists who recently explored underwater mountains along the Nazca Ridge and Salas y Gómez, a series of 200 or so underwater mountains 2,900 kilometers long [a distance almost the same as the straight distance from Jakarta – Manokwari] that stretches from off the coast of Chile to Rapa Nui, or Easter Island .
Led by Dr. Javier Sellanes of the Universidad Católica del Norte, in Antofagasta, Chile, scientists used underwater robots to dive to a depth of 4,500 meters below sea level [roughly 34 times the height of Monas] and collected data on 10 of the 200 seamounts.
Seamounts are underwater mountains with steep sides which are generally the remains of extinct volcanoes. These interesting features are often home to biodiversity, as their solid surfaces give the area's living creatures a place to live, providing them with food and nutrients.
Remarkably, each seamount studied was found to be home to a completely different ecosystem. One of them is a stretch of thriving deep sea coral reefs and sponge gardens, many of which may already be vulnerable to extinction.
Experts on board mapped 52,777 square kilometers of seabed, which resulted in the discovery of four seamounts in Chilean waters. The fourth seamount, the highest [3,530 meters], was explored for the first time, mapped, and unofficially named Solito by the science team.
“What we found was far beyond our expectations on this expedition. "We always hope, of course, to discover new species in these remote and less explored areas, but the numbers we discovered, especially for some groups such as sponges, are truly astonishing," said marine biologist Sellanes, in a statement to IFLScience .
“A thriving and healthy ecosystem means that the Nazca-Desventuradas and Juan Fernández Marine Parks are effectively protecting fragile marine habitats,” explains Sellanes.
To confirm which species had never been identified before, the team examined the physiology and genetics of the specimens to see if they were truly new to science.
“Full species identification can take years. Dr. Sellanes and team, have an extraordinary number of samples from this incredibly beautiful and little-known biodiversity hotspot ,” explained Dr. Jyotika Virmani , Executive Director of the Schmidt Ocean Institute .
A second expedition along the Salas y Gómez Ridge started again aboard the research vessel Falkor as well. Perhaps, there will be more new species discovered for the first time.
“The Schmidt Ocean Institute is a partner of the Nippon Foundation – Nekton Marine Census Program, which has set a goal of discovering 100,000 new marine species in the next 10 years and, once identified, these new species will be part of those discoveries,” Virmani said.