A team of international scientists, led by researcher Ariadna Mechó from the Barcelona Supercomputing Center—Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS), made a remarkable discovery of 160 species on seamounts off the coast of Chile. Surprisingly, these species were previously unknown in the region, with around 50 believed to be new to science.
Mechó, a member of the Climate Variability and Change group at BSC’s Earth Sciences Department, unveiled the findings from the expedition “Unexplored Seamounts of the Salas y Gómez Ridge” during the “Ocean Decade MPA Forum: Progress, obstacles and solutions” event, part of the UN Ocean Decade Conference in Barcelona on April 10–12, 2024.
“Our expedition has led to the discovery of approximately 50 to 60 potentially new species, with more discoveries expected as we analyze the numerous samples collected,” Mechó explained.
She added, “We also encountered one of the deepest mesophotic corals globally, expanding the known range of this Polynesian fauna by hundreds of kilometers. Furthermore, we identified sponge and coral habitats at depth, highlighting the importance of protecting these vulnerable ecosystems.”
The research mission, conducted from February 24 to April 4, involved a diverse team of 25 scientists from 14 institutions across five countries (Chile, United States, Italy, Spain, Netherlands). Notably, Emilia Ra’a Palma Tuki, the first marine biologist from Rapa Nui and a recent graduate of Universidad Católica del Norte in Chile, was part of the team.
2024-04-13 06:51:02
Article from phys.org