Scientists have discovered an amazing variety of marine life hidden deep under the sea off the coast of Ningaloo, Western Australia. This includes evidence of giant squid and several other species that may be unknown to science.
The discovery comes from research led by Curtin University that investigated the Cape Ranges and Croats submarine canyon, about 1,200 kilometers north of Perth. The expedition was led by the Western Australian Museum aboard the Schmidt Oceanographic Institute’s research vessel R/V. falconsresearchers collected more than 1,000 samples from depths reaching 4,510 meters.
Rather than relying solely on cameras or captive animals, the researchers used environmental DNA (eDNA), which consists of genetic traces naturally released into seawater by marine animals. By analyzing these tiny DNA fragments, scientists were able to identify species that live in the deep sea without directly observing them.
Giant squid and rare deep-sea species detected
One of the most notable discoveries was evidence of giant squid (chief architect), were detected in six separate samples collected from both submarine canyons. Researchers also studied pygmy sperm whales (Kogia breviceps) and Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris).
The giant squid is one of the ocean’s most mysterious animals. They grow longer than a school bus (10 to 13 meters), weigh between 150 and 275 kilograms, have the largest eyes in the animal kingdom, and can reach up to 30 centimeters in diameter, the size of a large pizza.
Overall, the study identified 226 species across 11 major animal groups, including squid, marine mammals, cnidarians, echinoderms, and rare deep-sea fish.
Scientists also detected dozens of species never before recorded in Western Australian waters. These include sleeper sharks (dreamy sp.), faceless cask eel (sp.typhronus), and thin snaggletooth (10th Ladinestes).
Lead author Dr Georgia Nester conducted the research during her PhD at Curtin University and currently works at the Minderoo Oceanomics Center at the University of Western Australia. He said the findings showed scientists still knew very little about Australia’s deep sea environment.
“The discovery of evidence of giant squid really captures people’s imaginations, but it’s only part of a bigger picture,” Dr. Nester said.
“We discovered a number of species that do not exactly match what is currently recorded. This does not automatically mean that they are new to science, but it strongly suggests that there is a huge amount of deep-sea biodiversity that we are only beginning to discover.”
How eDNA is transforming ocean exploration
Dr Lisa Kirkendale, WA Museum’s head of aquatic zoology and curator of molluscs, said there had only been two previous records of giant squid in Western Australia, and no confirmed sightings or specimens had been collected in more than 25 years.
“This is the first record of a giant squid detected on the coast of Western Australia using the eDNA protocol, and the northernmost record. A.Dachs in the eastern Indian Ocean,” Dr. Kirkendale said.
To conduct the research, Dr. Nester collected water samples from the ocean surface to a depth of more than 4 kilometers. eDNA analysis was combined with genetic reference material from physical specimens collected by remotely operated vehicles. Subastian.
Taxonomists identified the collected specimens, which are now permanently stored in the Washington State Museum’s Collections and Research Facility to aid in future research.
“WA Museum contributed to the expert identification of specimens from the expedition and supported the development of locally selected genetic references to enhance eDNA analysis,” Dr Kirkendale said.
Dr. Nester explained that eDNA is particularly valuable for detecting fragile, fast-moving, or elusive marine species that may escape traditional nets or underwater cameras.
“These canyons are incredibly rich ecosystems that have been little explored until now because working at such extreme depths is difficult,” Dr. Nester said.
“With eDNA, we can learn about hundreds of species at once from one water sample.”
“This means we can dramatically expand our understanding of the deep-sea environment in ways that were not possible before.”
Ecosystem hidden under the ocean floor of the Indian Ocean
The study also showed that marine life varies greatly depending on ocean depth. Even adjacent canyons supported different ecosystems and different biological communities.
Lead author Associate Professor Zoe Richards from Curtin University’s School of Molecular Life Sciences said the technology could dramatically improve the way scientists study and protect deep sea ecosystems.
“Deep sea ecosystems are vast, remote and expensive to study, yet they face increasing pressures from climate change, fishing and resource extraction,” Professor Richards said.
“Environmental DNA provides a scalable, non-invasive way to build fundamental knowledge about the organisms that live there, which is essential for informed management and conservation.
“You can’t protect what you don’t know exists. The sheer number of discoveries, including megafauna, makes it clear that we still have a lot to learn about what kind of marine life lives in the Indian Ocean.”
Dr Nester said a better understanding of deep-sea biodiversity could help improve marine park planning, environmental monitoring and conservation efforts in the long term.
“By combining eDNA with traditional deep-sea research techniques, we can build a more complete picture of biodiversity and reveal species, ecosystems, and ecological patterns that would otherwise remain hidden,” she said.
“This type of information is critical for marine park planning and management because it gives us a clearer picture of what species are present and how communities are structured across water depths.”
This fieldwork was supported by the Schmidt Institute of Oceanography and the Western Australian Museum. The project involved researchers from Curtin University, UWA, Western Australian Museum, UWA Minderoo Oceanomics Centre, University of Tasmania and Research Connect Blue.
The study, titled “Environmental DNA reveals diversity and depth-stratified biodiversity in eastern Indian Ocean submarine canyons,” was published in the journal Nature. environmental dna.
