Casper, the extremely rare octopus discovered in 2016, was also seen during the recent expedition of the Schmidt Oceanographic Institute, co-founded by the former CEO of Google, off the coast of Peru. This harvest illustrates the extraordinary biodiversity of a fragile and threatened ecosystem.
And three… And twenty! This is the third time this year that the Schmidt Oceanographic Institute (IOS) has organized an expedition into the depths of the Nazca Ridge, an underwater mountain range located in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Peru. After those in January and February, this new mission conducted in the summer of 2024 was rich in animal discoveries.
There will be there, the team estimates, “20 potential new species”. But also representing others, already known, although extremely rare. Like this cute cephalopod: the species was discovered in 2016 and nicknamed Casper, in reference to the little ghost in the cartoon. It has not yet been scientifically described or officially named, “because no specimens have been collected so far”explains IOS, which took these images at a depth of 4,443 meters.
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L’initiative Ocean Census
IOS is a private organization founded by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and his wife Wendy Schmidt. This affiliation will come as no surprise, given that IOS is characterized by the use of cutting-edge technologies to explore the ocean floor. In collaboration with researchers from various institutes, the team used submarines, underwater drones, and high-resolution cameras to collect samples at depths of up to 2,000 meters, and film others beyond that, like Casper.
The expeditions are part of Ocean Census, a global oceanographic research initiative dedicated to discovering new marine species, launched by IOS and the British charity Nekton. The idea is to fill gaps in our understanding of marine biodiversity, as the deep sea remains a large unknown land.
Amazing marine biodiversity
Among the findings of this new vo[…]
- sciencesetavenir.fr
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