PREVIEW

Scientists have discovered a rare giant phantom jellyfish the size of a bus lurking in the ocean off the coast of Argentina.

The team at Schmidt Ocean Institute made several extraordinary finds during their expedition, including the world’s largest known Bathelia candida coral reef and a previously unrecorded deep-water whale fall.

Using the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) SuBastian, the team uncovered the astonishing finds while exploring the deep-sea ecosystems along Argentina’s coast, stretching from Buenos Aires in the north to Tierra del Fuego in the south. The researchers focused on investigating cold seeps - underwater areas where methane and other chemicals seep from the seafloor, providing energy for deep-sea life.

One of the key discoveries was a vast coral reef consisting of Bathelia candida, a species of cold-water stony coral. The reef, located in the Malvinas Trough at a depth of 3,000 metres, is the largest of its kind and extends the known range of Bathelia by 600 kilometres (373 miles) further south than previously recorded.

“We were not expecting to see this level of biodiversity in the Argentine deep sea and are so excited to see it teeming with life,” said María Emilia Bravo, the expedition’s chief scientist. “Seeing all the biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and connectivity unfolding together was incredible. We opened a window into our country’s biodiversity only to find there are so many more windows left to be opened.”

In addition to the coral reef, the team made an important discovery of a deep-water whale fall, marking the first time such a find has been recorded off Argentina’s coast. Whale falls are ecosystems created when a whale carcass sinks to the ocean floor, providing a food source for a range of deep-sea creatures.

A particularly exciting sighting was that of a giant phantom jellyfish (Stygiomedusa gigantea). The elusive creature, rarely seen by humans, has tentacles that can grow up to 10 metres in length, the size of a school bus. Despite its impressive size, the jellyfish does not have lethal stinging tentacles but instead uses its long mouth arms to trap fish and plankton.

There have been just over 100 confirmed sightings of the giant phantom jellyfish, which is found in deep, dark ocean waters at depths of between 1,000 and 4,000 metres. Although sightings are rare, scientists believe the jellyfish is widespread across the world’s oceans, excluding the Arctic.

Dr. Jyotika Virmani, executive director of the Schmidt Ocean Institute, noted: “With every expedition to the deep sea, we find the ocean is full of life—as much as we see on land, and perhaps more because the Ocean contains 98% of the living space on this planet.


Scientists have uncovered a rare giant phantom jellyfish, as large as a bus, lurking in the waters off Argentina’s coast.

The Schmidt Ocean Institute team made several extraordinary finds during their expedition, including the world’s largest known Bathelia candida coral reef and a previously unrecorded deep-water whale fall.