CSIRO researchers discover massive eel accumulation near Tasmania

Researchers from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) have quantified a massive accumulation of abyssal eels, Diastobranchus capensis, near Patience seamount in Australia's Huon Marine Park.

The study, published in Royal Society Open Science, estimates that the population reaches a peak of approximately 2.8 million individuals, weighing between 3,547 and 2,557 metric tons. This dense concentration forms a biological mass extending 3 kilometers in length and 2 kilometers in width, creating a water column hundreds of meters high.

While the exact reason for this gathering remains unknown, scientists hypothesize that the eels may be congregating for mating purposes. Ben Scoulding, a CSIRO researcher and author of the study, noted that in high-density areas, the seafloor appears as a carpet of eels positioned only centimeters apart, which is unusual for deep-sea species typically dispersed across vast areas.