Researchers identified 31 new marine species on a deep-sea voyage off Brazil’s coast, uncovering unusual creatures adapted to life far below the surface. Among them were a see-through young glass squid, a swift gossamer worm, odd comb jellies, enigmatic siphonophores, and several peculiar fish, underscoring gaps in knowledge about the planet’s biggest habitat.
One of Earth’s least studied environments
An international group spent two weeks in June surveying the South Atlantic on the Schmidt Ocean Institute ship Falkor (too). The focus was the midwater zone, spanning about 180 to 1,000 metres down. Though it covers vast areas of the globe, this realm stays largely uncharted due to intense pressure, total darkness, and equipment limits.
