Much of ocean life is still a mystery to us, but an international team of scientists has just filled in some of the gaps following a 40-day expedition to the Salas Gomez Ridge. The ridge is a long corridor studded with more than 100 underwater mountains that stretches from Chile to Rapa Nui (commonly known as Easter Island).
This month, researchers Announce their early discoveries. The area has a rich biodiversity of marine and deep-sea species and is important for the migration of whales, turtles and various fish species. The team was led by Erin Easton of the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley and Javier Sellanes of the Universidad Católica Norte in Chile. It also includes scientists from Italy, Spain and the Netherlands.To explore the ridge, the team used a Schmidt Ocean Institute research vessel Falcon (also).
The team observed 160 unknown species living in the ridge, at least 50 of which may be new to science so far. One of the discoveries includes the deepest example of photosynthetic coral ever discovered.
This research will not only improve our understanding of undersea life, but also inform conservation efforts, as the area is currently being considered for special environmental protection. “Observations of different ecosystems across seamounts highlight the importance of protecting entire seamount ridges, not just a few seamounts,” Easton said in a report. statement from Schmidt Ocean Institute. “We hope the data collected by this expedition will help establish new marine protected areas, including the high seas protected area of the Saras Gomez Ridge.”
Here are some amazing images taken during the expedition.