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3 clusters · 16 sources · 12 days · First seen · Last updated

Marine species and deep-sea pollution in Mar del Plata

Overview

Following the Talud Continental IV and Oasis Submarinos expeditions in mid-2025, an international workshop of taxonomists 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.

Conducted using the vessel R/V Falkor (too) and the remotely operated vehicle SuBastian, the research reached depths of 3,900 meters. The identified organisms include 20 copepods, 22 echinoderms, 14 cnidarians, and one scaphopod mollusk. Notable discoveries include a deep-sea sea cucumber named ‘Loki’ (Peniagone sp.), found at 2,577 meters, and a bright orange starfish.

In addition to biological findings, the expedition documented significant anthropogenic waste at extreme depths. Researchers identified 29 human-made objects between 1,120 and 3,814 meters, including plastic bags, food wrappers, ropes, and a rubber boot. A study published in PLOS One noted that marine organisms were found associated with seven of these waste items, suggesting that plastic pollution is actively integrating into deep-sea ecological interactions.

The research was a collaboration between The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census and the Schmidt Ocean Institute, with local coordination by researchers from CONICET at Universidad Maimónides. Data has been integrated into the open-access Ocean Census NOVA platform.

Entities

Schmidt Ocean Institute · Mar del Plata submarine canyon · Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census · CONICET · Universidad Maimónides

Timeline

  1. [CULTURE] 3 sources
    Mar del Plata canyon expedition discovers new species and deep-sea pollution

    An expedition in the Mar del Plata submarine canyon discovered 57 new marine species, including a sea cucumber named ‘Loki’, while also finding significant plastic pollution at depths of up to 3,814 meters.

  2. [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    New marine species discovered in Atlantic Ocean canyons

    Scientists have discovered 57 new marine species and five new genera in the Mar del Plata Canyon near Argentina during a deep-sea research expedition.

  3. [TECHNOLOGY] 12 sources
    Mar del Plata canyon expedition discovers 57 new marine species

    Scientists have confirmed the discovery of 57 new marine species and five new genera in Argentina's Mar del Plata submarine canyon following a deep-sea expedition reaching 3,900 meters.

Sources

aventurasnahistoria.uol.com.br · bookclubz.com · brasilemfolhas.com.br · cadenaoh.com.ar · diariotortuga.com · eldebate.com.ar · eldiariodemadryn.com · esnoticiatdf.com · infobonaerenses.com.ar · invdes.com.mx · lat.sputnikportal.rs · lu32.com.ar · mondo.rs · pausa.com.ar · radiomhumahuaca.com.ar · sinmordaza.com

This summary has been updated 1 time: see revision history