A shipload of scientists just returned from exploring the unexplored waters of the Indian Ocean, where they encountered a lot of animals with black skin and fangs.
The first biologists to study the waters around the Cocos Islands were from Australia. The expedition's chief scientist says it's just a blank slate.
The president of the Deep- Sea Biology Society, who wasn't involved in the expedition, says that it's rare to study that area of the world. The Indian Ocean is so far away that few research expeditions make it there. It took the team six days to get to the islands from Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory.
Even when the mouth is closed, the viperfish has big fangs. It has organs on it's belly and upper fin that make it look like a predator. There is a photograph of Benjamin Healley.
The fish are the real stars of the show according to O'Hara. There are many fish with bio-luminescent organs on them and lures that come out of their heads. They're just amazing. The deep-sea batfish was one of the highlights. It sits on the bottom like a pancake and is supported by two short fins. It wiggles a tiny lure tucked into a hollow on its snout in order to trick people into thinking it is a worm.
Clockwise from top left are a batfish, a high fin lizard fish, and a spiderfish. The photographs were taken by Benjamin Healley.
The tribute spiderfish has long lower fins that are used as stilts to perch above the sea. The blind eel was covered in transparent skin and was collected from 5000m down. They saw stoplight loose jaws, a type of dragonfish, which have huge unfolding jaws with double hinges and the unusual habit of snooping on other animals with red bioluminescent light, a colour which most deep-sea animals can't see.
The sharks that glow in the dark were discovered in the deepest part of the ocean.
The ancient shark teeth were found in a sampling net. They were huge sharks that lived a long time ago. Fossil experts think these came from a type of animal called megalodon. Once they get their hands on the teeth, they will know a lot more.
Nelson Kuna is a scientist from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. The investigator is right. The photographs were taken by Robert French and Mike.
Huge seamounts, which are more than twice as tall as Australia's highest land mountain, were uncovered by the team as well as shining a light on the deep-sea life. You wouldn't know from the surface.
The eel can be found at depths of up to 4,000 meters. It can reach a meter in length. The jaws are permanently open and have small hooked teeth. There is a photograph of Yi-Kai tea.
The team found several smaller seamounts that were previously unknown by using high-resolution sonar.
Many deep seamounts are covered in rich habitats of corals, sponges and other wildlife, and they play a crucial role in mixing the ocean. The flanks of seamounts are swept up by deep currents. Some people refer to them as the stirring rods of the ocean because they mix water at different levels.
The team went to the Cocos Islands in order to provide baseline information to help manage and protect the newly established marine park there.
There is a flatfish from the order. A tooth from a white shark was found by researchers. The photographs were taken by Benjamin Healley.
The area isn't threatened by deep-sea mining because it wasn't worth exploiting Plastic pollution was the main threat. He says you will dredge up plastic even when you are far away. You can see it in the water, but you can't see it on top of the water.
Between 10% and 30% of the species collected will be new to science, according to O'Hara. Taylor is excited about what future science discoveries will be from this. The team plans to match up the samples with environmental eDNA, which is shed by organisms in slime and skin cells, to see what happens. In the future, scientists will be able to identify which species are present in the deep sea by looking at the genetic calling cards left in the water.
The deep-sea batfish move with their arms. They use a small fishing lure in their snout to lure prey. There is a photograph of Benjamin Healley.
It is not known what will happen to the specimen in museums in 100 years. It's a rare privilege to be able to visit these deep-sea areas, and trying to maximize the science possible from each specimen is so important.
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