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A deep - sea expedition off the seacoast of Chile has uncovered a treasure trove of scientific wonders , include more than 100 previously unnamed maritime specie and a smattering of never - before - seen underwater mountains — the largest of which is around four times the size of the world ’s tallest building .
unbelievable photograph and video footage of the submersed landscape also showcase a zoo of thick - sea weirdos , including intricate sponges , spiraling red coral , a jeweled - eye lobster , a bizarre stack of oblong sea urchins and a bright red " ocean toad " with hands for Phoebe .
The “Solito” seamount is more than 2 miles tall.
Between Jan. 8 and Feb. 11 , researcher on board the Schmidt Ocean Institute ’s ( SOI ) inquiry vessel Falkor ( too ) explore the seafloor off the coast of Chile . The expedition , diagnose " Seamounts of the Southeast Pacific , " focused on underwater mountain , or seamounts , in three main areas : the Nazca and Salas y Gómez ridge — two chains of more than 200 seamounts that stretch a combined 1,800 naut mi ( 2,900 kilometers ) from Chile to Easter Island ( also know as Rapa Nui ) ; as well as the Juan Fernández and Nazca - Desventuradas shipboard soldier parks .
In sum , the researcher mapped around 20,400 square miles ( 52,800 square kilometers ) of sea .
These new , highly detailed maps uncover four previously unknown alone seamount . The biggest of these , which the squad dub Solito — think " alone " in Spanish — tower 11,581 feet ( 3,530 meters ) above the seafloor , making it more than four times marvelous than the Earth ’s tallest building , the Burj Khalifa , which stand at 2,716 foot ( 828 m ) magniloquent .
The “Solito” seamount is more than 2 miles tall.
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The inquiry squad also used an submersed automaton to explore the submerged slopes of 10 seamount across the study range . This revealed more than 100 coinage that the scientists surmise are new to science , including coral , sponges , sea urchins , mollusk and crustaceans .
" We far transcend our hopes on this expedition,“Javier Sellanes , a marine biologist at the Catholic University of the North , in Chile , and pass scientist on the expedition , said in a program line emailed to endure Science . " You always expect to find new species in these remote and ill explore areas , but the amount we regain , especially for some radical like sponges , is mind - blowing . "
A remotely operate vehicle spied an unknown species of sea toad on one of its dives.(Image credit: Schmidt Ocean Institute)
The researchers learn samples of the fauna and will now set about study each one to determine whether it is a newfound specie .
" Full coinage identification can take many years,“Jyotika Virmani , SOI ’s executive theater director , said in the statement . And the " unbelievable phone number of sample distribution " could make this process even longer , she added .
The research worker noted that a bulk of the coinage live within vulnerable habitat , such as cold - pee coral and sponge garden , which are highly susceptible to damage from trawl and deep - sea excavation . The new metal money within the Juan Fernández and Nazca - Desventuradas parks are legally protected from these menace . However , the seamounts along the Nazca and Salas y Gómez ridges are currently unprotected .
Researchers spotted a stack of spiky, oblong sea urchins on the seafloor.(Image credit: ROV SUBastian/Schmidt Ocean Institute)
This enquiry trip is the recent of several SOI expedition that have mapped seamount in the southeast Pacific in recent year .
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A “spiralling coral” was spotted on one of the dives.(Image credit: ROV SUBastian/Schmidt Ocean Institute)
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The institute previouslymapped four other monumental seamountsduring an expedition off the coast of Chile and Peru , as well asanother solitary peakoff the sea-coast of Guatemala last yr . Each of these five peaks was at least doubly as tall as the Burj Khalifa .
It is important to discover and canvass these predominate " biological hot spot " because they can " advance our cognition of life on Earth , " Virmani previously said after the find of the seamounts in Chile and Peru .
Researchers spotted a rarely seen whiplash squid (Mastigoteuthis) ejecting ink.(Image credit: ROV SUBastian/Schmidt Ocean Institute)
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A close up of a squat lobster.(Image credit: ROV SUBastian/Schmidt Ocean Institute)
Various species of sponge were observed on the dives.(Image credit: ROV SUBastian/Schmidt Ocean Institute)
Researchers were stunned by the amount of biodiversity they encountered during the expedition.
