Caribbean Team Reveals Deep-Sea Wonders

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Scientists from the Caribbean have completed a major deep-sea expedition around Trinidad and Tobago. The month-long mission used the research ship R/V Falkor (too) and was led by marine scientist Dr. Diva Amon. Most of the science team came from Trinidad and Tobago and other parts of the Caribbean.

The team explored parts of the ocean that had received very little scientific attention. Around 93 percent of Trinidad and Tobago's marine area is deeper than normal recreational scuba diving. During the mission, the researchers found 25 cold seep ecosystems. These are places on the seafloor where chemicals such as methane move out of the ground and support unusual communities of animals.

The expedition also found 20 suspected new species. Scientists still need to study the animals carefully before they can officially say that they are new to science. One of the most interesting examples was an octopus that researchers had first seen during another expedition in 2014. This time, the team collected enough information to study it in more detail.

In total, the researchers collected more than 700 specimens. They included corals, carnivorous sponges, squat lobsters and other deep-sea animals. The specimens will be kept at the Zoology Museum at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago. The new collection will greatly increase the museum's deep-sea material.

The team also mapped part of the seafloor that had not been mapped before. The expedition covered about 13 percent of Trinidad and Tobago's previously uncharted seafloor. The results give local scientists a stronger starting point for future research and conservation. They also show how much remains to be discovered in the deep Caribbean Sea.