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Mar del Plata canyon expedition discovers 57 new marine species
An international workshop of taxonomists has confirmed the discovery of 57 new marine species and five new scientific genera in the Mar del Plata submarine canyon off the coast of Argentina. The findings resulted from analyzing biological samples collected during the Talud Continental IV expedition in August 2025.
The expedition utilized the research vessel R/V Falkor (too) and the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) SuBastian, which reached depths of 3,900 meters. The biological analysis identified 20 copepods, 22 echinoderms (including sea cucumbers and crinoids), 14 cnidarians (such as octocorals and sea plumes), and one scaphopod mollusk. A notable discovery includes a deep-sea sea cucumber named ‘Loki’ (Peniagone sp.) due to its horn-like appendages.
The Species Discovery Workshop was organized by The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census in partnership with the Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI) and coordinated locally by researchers from CONICET at the Universidad Maimónides. The event brought together 20 early-career taxonomists from Latin America and Europe to examine the samples using integrative taxonomy techniques. All records have been integrated into the open-access Ocean Census NOVA platform, with physical specimens to be preserved in Argentine institutional collections, such as the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales.
Entities
CONICET · Daniel Lauretta · Mar del Plata submarine canyon · Schmidt Ocean Institute · The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census · Universidad Maimónides
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- [● 2 SOURCES] The findings were part of the Talud Continental IV expedition. radiomhumahuaca.com.ar · www.cadenaoh.com.ar
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Species Discovery Workshop confirmed the discovery of 57 new marine species. radiomhumahuaca.com.ar · www.cadenaoh.com.ar
- [● 2 SOURCES] The species were found in the Mar del Plata submarine canyon. radiomhumahuaca.com.ar · www.cadenaoh.com.ar
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The new species include 20 copepods, 22 echinoderms, 14 cnidarians, and one scaphopod mollusk. radiomhumahuaca.com.ar
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The expedition utilized the ROV SuBastian to reach depths of 3,900 meters. www.cadenaoh.com.ar
- [● 2 SOURCES] The discovery includes five new scientific genera. radiomhumahuaca.com.ar · www.cadenaoh.com.ar
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A deep-sea sea cucumber named ‘Loki’ was identified. radiomhumahuaca.com.ar