Trove of Unknown Deep-Sea Life Discovered in the South Pacific

Much of the ocean’s life remains a mystery to us, but an international team of scientists has just filled in a few blanks after a 40-day expedition to the Salas y Gómez Ridge. The ridge is a lengthy corridor filled with over 100 underwater mountains that extends from Chile to Rapa Nui, more commonly known as Easter Island.

This month, the researchers announced their early findings. The region contains a rich biodiversity of marine and deep sea species and is important to the migration of whales, sea turtles, and various fish. The team was led by Erin Easton of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and Javier Sellanes of the Catholic University of the North in Chile; it also included scientists from Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands. To explore the ridge, the team used the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel Falkor (too).

The team observed 160 species that hadn’t been known to live in the ridge, with at least 50 of these species possibly being entirely new to science until now. One of these discoveries includes the deepest example of a photosynthesizing coral ever seen.

This research will not only improve our understanding of the life teeming under the sea but could inform conservation efforts, since the region is currently being considered for special environmental protection. “The observation of distinct ecosystems on individual seamounts highlights the importance of protecting the entire ridge, not just a few seamounts,” said Easton in a statement from the Schmidt Ocean Institute. “We hope the data collected from this expedition will help establish new marine protected areas, including on the high seas on the Salas y Gómez Ridge.”

Here are some of the fantastic images captured during the expedition.