Punta Arenas, Chile - January 19, 2025 A groundbreaking expedition along the Chilean coastline has uncovered a hidden world teeming with life. Four previously unknown underwater canyons and nearly 20 methane seep ecosystems thriving in the dark depths have been discovered. An international team led the 55-day journey aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor. The journey mapped vast, uncharted regions and revealed an abundance of creatures, possibly including 60 new species. The team was particularly struck by red cusk-eels, a commercially valuable fish, living among tubeworm mounds near methane seeps. With cutting-edge technology, including remotely operated vehicles and sonar-based mapping, the scientists also encountered massive chemosynthetic clam beds and otherworldly creatures, like a glowing anglerfish and a dazzling polychaete worm. This exploration not only expands the boundaries of marine science but also opens new frontiers in understanding the delicate ecosystems feeding off methane in the deepest corners of our planet’s oceans.