On Christmas Day 2024, researchers captured the first live footage of a previously unseen Antarctic squid, challenging our understanding of deep-sea biodiversity.
First Live Sighting of Rare Antarctic Squid Captured on Video
First Live Sighting of Rare Antarctic Squid Captured on Video
A historic discovery in deep-sea research reveals the elusive Gonatus antarcticus species.
On Christmas Day last year, researchers aboard the R/V Falkor (Too), part of the Schmidt Ocean Institute, made an extraordinary discovery in the Southern Ocean. Their mission was to deploy the remotely operated vehicle SuBastian in the Powell Basin, but ice movement forced them to explore a new area. While descending 7,000 feet, the team unexpectedly observed a shadow through the live feed, leading to the historic sighting of an Antarctic gonate squid, a species of deep-sea cephalopod, measuring approximately three feet and clouding the water with a green ink.
“This is a beautiful squid,” said Andrew Thurber, a researcher from the University of California, Santa Barbara, who was present during the encounter. In a world where deep-sea creatures often go unseen, the squid's vibrant red hue and striking white spots were mesmerizing. The team followed it for a few minutes, ensuring to document the moment for further study, as no live Antarctic gonate squid had ever been recorded before.
Linsey Sala, who oversees the pelagic invertebrate collection at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, expressed her enthusiasm about the find, highlighting the importance of such discoveries in understanding how deep-sea creatures thrive in their extreme environments. She noted that videos like this could provide crucial insights and possibly help identify unknown specimens that might be resting in collections around the globe.
“This is a beautiful squid,” said Andrew Thurber, a researcher from the University of California, Santa Barbara, who was present during the encounter. In a world where deep-sea creatures often go unseen, the squid's vibrant red hue and striking white spots were mesmerizing. The team followed it for a few minutes, ensuring to document the moment for further study, as no live Antarctic gonate squid had ever been recorded before.
Linsey Sala, who oversees the pelagic invertebrate collection at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, expressed her enthusiasm about the find, highlighting the importance of such discoveries in understanding how deep-sea creatures thrive in their extreme environments. She noted that videos like this could provide crucial insights and possibly help identify unknown specimens that might be resting in collections around the globe.
