(WJW) – A team of oceanographers set out on a 28-day expedition to the international waters of the Nazca Ridge, about 900 miles off the coast of Chile, and during that time they made some pretty eye-catching discoveries.
Among them is an underwater mountain nearly 2 miles tall. The newly discovered seamount is part of a larger mountain chain.
During the expedition, which finished in August, the team mapped out the seamount and took a dive using an underwater robot.
According to a press release from the Schmidt Ocean Institute, which led the team of explorers, the robot found sponge gardens and ancient corals.
The team also mapped out and explored other parts of the underwater mountain range.
The release described seeing a “pristine coral garden” about the size of three tennis courts that provided “shelter for an array of organisms such as rockfish, brittle stars, and king crabs.”
In addition, the team also captured the first footage of a rare and living “Promachoteuthis squid.” According to the release, until now, the squid genus has only been characterized from dead samples found in nets.
The explorers also documented seeing a “Casper octopus.” It’s the first time the species has been spotted in the Southern Pacific, according to the release.
And, the team saw two rare “Bathyphysa siphonophores” also known as “flying spaghetti monsters.”
The expedition was the third this year to the deep-sea region.
“Prior to Schmidt Ocean Institute’s expeditions this year, 1,019 species were known to live in this portion of the Pacific Ocean. The number now exceeds 1,300 and is growing,” said the release.
Credit: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute
The Nazca Ridge is currently being considered to be designated as a high-seas marine protected area.
“The records will be sent to the Ocean Census, an international, collaborative alliance led by the Nippon Foundation and Nekton to accelerate the discovery and protection of ocean life,” said the release.
You can read more about the expedition and its findings on the Schmidt Ocean Institute website.