Valparaiso, Chile - August 28, 2024

In a groundbreaking marine expedition, the Schmidt Ocean Institute, in collaboration with Ocean Census and the University of New Hampshire's Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping, has unveiled a new seamount on the Nazca Ridge, located 900 miles off Chile's coast in international waters. This discovery, part of a 28-day exploration, not only adds to the global map of underwater landscapes but also highlights the biodiversity of deep-sea ecosystems, potentially influencing future marine conservation efforts.

The newly mapped seamount, towering over 1.9 miles high, supports a rich ecosystem including sponge gardens and ancient corals. The team's underwater robot captured footage of these vibrant habitats, revealing species interactions in a previously unseen coral garden roughly the size of three tennis courts. This area is teeming with life, from rockfish to brittle stars, underscoring the ecological importance of such underwater mountains.

Among the expedition's highlights was the first-ever video recording of a live Promachoteuthis squid, a rare species previously known only from dead specimens. The team also documented a Casper octopus and two Bathyphysa siphonophores, nicknamed "flying spaghetti monsters," adding to the list of unique marine life encountered.

Tomer Ketter, Co-Chief Scientist and Schmidt Ocean Institute Marine Technician, expressed the significance of these findings: "Our findings highlight the remarkable diversity of these ecosystems, while simultaneously revealing the gaps in our understanding of how the seamount ecosystems are interconnected." This expedition, the third in the region this year, has now documented over 1,300 species, significantly increasing the known biodiversity of the area.

The exploration, conducted aboard the R/V Falkor (too), also included high-resolution mapping by hydrographers from the University of New Hampshire. This data will contribute to the Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project, aimed at mapping the entire ocean floor by 2030.

Prof. Alex David Rogers, Science Director of Ocean Census, emphasized the importance of these discoveries for conservation: "The seamounts of the Southeastern Pacific host remarkable biological diversity, with species found nowhere else to date. This work significantly enhances our understanding of these underwater mountains' ecosystems."

Dr. Jyotika Virmani, Executive Director of Schmidt Ocean Institute, highlighted the excitement of uncovering such a significant geological and biological feature: "The discovery of a new seamount almost 2 miles tall with a vibrant ecosystem was very exciting. Only 26% of the seafloor has been mapped to this high resolution, and each expedition brings into focus a little more of the unknown seabed and life on our home planet."

This expedition not only enriches our knowledge of marine biodiversity but also underscores the urgency of protecting these fragile deep-sea environments, potentially influencing the designation of the Nazca and Salas y Gomez Ridges as high seas marine protected areas.