An expedition led by Schmidt Ocean Institute in California, recently found a underwater mountain of the same height as four skyscrapers as tall as Burj Khalifa the tallest building in the world, stacked one on top of the other.
Located in the Pacific Ocean 900 miles (approximately 1,448 km) off the coast of Chile, the seamount is 1.9 miles (approximately 3 km) high and is part of a chain of underwater mountains that are home to sponge gardens, ancient corals and rare marine species — including a type of squid caught on camera for the first time.
A team led by the Schmidt Ocean Institute explored the region using the research vessel R/V Falkor (too) during a 28-day expedition that ended this month. The researchers mapped the mountain using a sonar system under the ship’s hull.
“The sound waves come down, bounce off the surface, and we measure the time it takes for them to come back and be measured. From that, we have a pretty good idea [da topografia do fundo do mar]”, he said Jyotika Virmani executive director of the institute.
“It’s important because at the moment, only about 26 percent of the ocean floor has been mapped to this kind of resolution. And the ocean floor covers 71 percent of the surface of our planet,” he added.
Oceanographers estimate that there are at least 100,000 seamounts measuring more than 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) around the world. They provide important habitats for a variety of species.
Newly mapped underwater mountain is larger than the Mount Olympus in Greece, which is 2,917 meters (9,570 feet) high; smaller than the Mount Fuji of Japan, which is 3,776 meters (12,388 ft) high; and nearly quadruples the 830 meters (2,723 ft) height of Burj Khalifa the Dubai tower.
Spaghetti monsters, a ghostly octopus and a rare squid
Using an underwater robot, the team explored one of the mountain ridges, finding a region rich in marine biodiversity.
Researchers have documented a ghostly white Casper octopus marking the first time this deep-living cephalopod has been seen in the South Pacific. They also spotted two siphonophores Bathyphysa rareknown as flying spaghetti monsters for its rope-like appearance. “The octopus (Casper) has never been captured, so it doesn’t have a scientific name yet,” Virmani explained.
The team also recorded for the first time a squid Promachoteuthis alive, known only from a few collected specimens.
The findings were highlights of the research vessel’s third expedition this year to the Nazca Range, located in international waters. According to Virmani, the region could be a contender for the world’s first high-seas marine protected area under a new U.N. treaty adopted in 2023 that is being ratified by states.
“Over the three expeditions, we were able to map and explore 25 seamounts, which is a considerable number to explore,” she said. “I think we have some good data as a community that can be presented to make the case that this is a really interesting region for protection.”
The two previous expeditions in January and February catalogued 150 previously unknown species. Another 20 potential new species were collected during the most recent expedition.
Details of the newly discovered species will be shared with the Ocean Census, an ambitious international collaboration to record hidden marine life in the world’s oceans.
The goal is to identify 100,000 unknown species in the next ten years, allowing scientists to better understand and protect the deep-sea ecosystem.
This content was originally published in Oceanographers find underwater mountain 4 times larger than the Burj Khalifa on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Charles Grill is a tech-savvy writer with over 3 years of experience in the field. He writes on a variety of technology-related topics and has a strong focus on the latest advancements in the industry. He is connected with several online news websites and is currently contributing to a technology-focused platform.
