If you think that the world we live in is fascinating, then the deep sea will leave you exhilarated! There is a whole new world down there and new discoveries are being made every day. In fact, an international group of scientists recently found around 100 new species of aquatic creatures in an offshore expansion around Chile. What’s more fascinating is that they have even discovered a rare ‘walking’ fish during this expedition. Here’s more information about this new discovery and interesting offshore expedition.
A Unique ‘Walking’ Fish Discovered During The Expedition In Chile
International scientists may have discovered more than 100 new species living on seamounts off the coast of Chile. The recent expedition resulted in identifying deep-sea corals, glass sponges, sea urchins, amphipods & other species likely new to science.https://t.co/hrZt67MX73 pic.twitter.com/OYoLML4tHV
— Schmidt Ocean (@SchmidtOcean) February 22, 2024
A group of international scientists recently made a significant discovery while on an expedition on seamounts off the Chilean coast. The scientists, led by Dr. Javier Sellanes of the Universidad Católica del Norte, discovered more than 100 new species living in the region. The Schmidt Ocean Institute expedition, reportedly, identified “deep-sea corals, glass sponges, sea urchins, amphipods, and squat lobsters.” What’s interesting is that all these species are likely new to science.
One of the most fascinating discoveries of all was the ‘walking’ fish. These fish greatly resemble a sea toad and have large eyes with crochet-like skin. Besides the intriguing skin designs, their body is adorned with tiny needles that apparently act as a protection means of sensing their surroundings.
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Scientists Find 100 More New Species Living Under Water
As per the Schmidt Ocean Institute website, the team explored seamounts along the Nazca and Salas y Gómez Ridge. This ridge is a 2,900-kilometre-long underwater mountain chain that consists of hundreds of seamounts. Besides that, they also explored two of the Juan Fernandez and Nazca-Desventuradas marine parks. The scientists used an underwater robot that went as deep as 4,500 metres to collect data from ten seamounts that will be used to advance Chile’s marine protection efforts.
They also used a ROV equipped with lights and cameras to live-stream the entire underwater expedition. Other than the walking fish, they also discovered more than 100 species in the area which speaks volumes about the biodiversity of the region. Some of these discoveries include cactus urchins, some sea urchins, and amphipods.
What do you think about these deep sea discoveries? Let us know in the comments!
Cover Image Courtesy: X/@SchmidtOcean
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