The SUBastian submarine robot, operated by the Schmidt Ocean Institute, was at the Continental Slope, one of the most majestic submarine canyons of the Argentine seabed, in a new scientific expedition that included the participation of specialists from the Naval Hydrography Service (SHN), the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), and the CONICET.
The second-to-last live broadcast of the year from the ship Falkor (too) once again showcased the biological richness of the Argentine Sea, with abyssal creatures as the protagonists.
A “biological bomb” in the Continental Slope
The explored area is part of the Argentine Continental Slope, a submarine platform of 1,500 kilometers in length that harbors an extraordinary diversity of marine species.
The director of the Ocean Dynamics Laboratory of the SHN, Silvia Romero, described the area as a “biological bomb”, due to its productivity and ecological complexity.
Scientific objectives: water chemistry and carbon dynamics
Unlike previous campaigns —such as the viral “CONICET stream”— this mission did not focus on organism collection, but on the physical-chemical analysis of the water. The parameters studied include:
- Temperature
- Salinity
- Acidity
- Dissolved oxygen
- Carbon dioxide
The objective is to understand why this region functions as a natural carbon sink, supports a robust trophic chain, and presents high levels of biomass.
Highlighted findings: fish, stars, and mysterious structures
Among the most celebrated discoveries is the striped bellows fish (Centriscops humerosus), up to 30 cm in length, with golden bands and peculiar behavior. It inhabits between 100 and 1,000 meters deep, from the Argentine coast to South Africa.
A starfish incubating eggs was also observed, wrapping a sphere with its arms, in a behavior that is not well documented.
One of the most intriguing moments was the sighting of a translucent leaf-shaped structure with an orange core, at 256 meters deep. Although it was not identified with certainty, it is believed to belong to the group of sea pens (Petroeides breviradiatum), colonial animals that filter water to feed and anchor to the substrate with a fleshy foot.
Human impact: trash on the seabed
The expedition also evidenced the presence of human waste in deep areas. At 332 meters deep, researchers found a canvas bag, demonstrating that even the most remote environments are not exempt from the pollution generated by human activity.
“Unfortunately, among so many wonders we also found trash,” lamented Romero.
Real-time science: exploration, dissemination, and environmental awareness
The campaign is part of a series of scientific missions that will extend until October 29, with the aim of expanding knowledge about the ecosystems of the South Atlantic, considered one of the most biodiverse and productive on the planet.
