Discovery of 100 new marine species by a robot
A robot discovered more than 100 new marine species.
Robots explore vulnerable deep-sea ecosystems and recently discovered more than 100 never-before-seen marine species in Chile.
According to Isna, citing IA, an international team of scientists led by Dr. Javier Selans from the Universidad Católica del Norte have identified more than 100 potential new species that live in underwater mountains or seamounts off the coast of Chile. they do.
In this new discovery conducted by the Schmidt Institute of Oceanography, seamounts have been identified along the ridge of a region called the Nazca and Salas y Gómez mountain ranges, which host an abundance of deep-sea corals, glass sponges, sea urchins. There are sea urchins, amphibians, scat crabs and other species that may be completely new to the world of science.
The Salas y Gómez Ridge is a 2,900 km long underwater mountain range consisting of more than 200 seamounts that extends off the coast of Chile.
The team also explored two Chilean marine protected areas, the Juan Fernández and Nazca de Suntorades Marine Parks, with the goal of collecting data that would support the creation of an international marine protected area in the high seas.
Using an advanced marine robot capable of diving to a depth of 4,500 meters, scientists collected data from 10 seamounts and revealed distinct ecosystems, including deep-sea coral reefs and sponge gardens.
This team is currently analyzing the physiology and genetics of suspected new species to confirm their status.
During this exploration, experts mapped an area of ​​52,777 square kilometers of the seabed and discovered four unknown seamounts in Chilean waters. Among them, the tallest one with a length of 3,530 meters was mapped and unofficially named Solito by the scientific team.
Dr. Selans expressed his excitement about these unexpected findings and said: “We went far beyond our expectations on this trip.” You always expect to find new species in these remote and underexplored areas, but the amount we found is surprising, especially for some groups like sponges.
He emphasized that the flourishing ecosystems in Nazca-Desuntoradas and Juan Fernandez marine parks show the effectiveness of these protected areas in preserving delicate marine habitats.
These discoveries will not only contribute to our understanding of the region's complex biodiversity, but also support marine conservation efforts in Chile. The data collected will help advance initiatives to establish an international marine protected area in the high seas.
Dr. Jyothika Virmani, executive director of the Schmidt Institute of Oceanography, emphasized the importance of these findings in the context of the Nekton Ocean Census Program, which aims to identify 100,000 new marine species in the next decade. This ambitious goal includes newly discovered species from this discovery and highlights the importance of ongoing research in conserving and understanding Earth's marine life.
The second exploratory mission along the Salas y Gómez ridge began yesterday, February 24, and the underwater dive is broadcast live on the YouTube channel of the Schmidt Institute of Oceanography.
The results of the first probe have now been published in full in the journal Science.
The team says future discoveries will go deeper, and for the first time scientists will explore areas beyond 600 meters deep.
The Schmidt Institute of Oceanology plans to continue its exploration in the Southeast Pacific and explore the waters of Peru and Chile during 2024.
The discoveries made by this international team of scientists underscore the importance of continued exploration and conservation efforts in preserving the rich biodiversity of our oceans, elucidating the mysteries of the deep seas and emphasizing the need for global cooperation in protecting these fragile ecosystems.
