At the junction of the two oceans, scientists discovered an incredible number of unknown living creatures
At the junction of the two oceans, scientists discovered an incredible number of unknown living creatures
When planning the expedition to the Cocos Islands, scientists from the Victoria Museum (Australia) planned to conduct only one or two surveys, but reality surprised them. At the junction of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, they discovered an amazing underwater reserve of 740,000 square kilometers. The Investigator had spent 35 days on a 13,000-km voyage which brought to the surface dozens of previously unknown marine life.
The underwater world of the Cocos Islands is located on the slopes of ancient submerged volcanoes, ranging in age from 40 to 150 million years. The largest one forms a mountain nearly 5,000 meters high, and there are lower peaks nearby, so scientists have been able to collect unique specimens from depths of 60 to 5,500 meters. Approximately two-thirds of the captured living creatures are unidentifiable – it is possible that people are seeing them for the first time.
Australian scientists believe they have discovered at least several entirely new species, including blind eels, fish with leg fins, crabs that form a symbiosis with soft corals, and many others. Biological materials will be handed over to specialists, who will extract DNA from them to establish the exact identity of the creatures. In any case, scientists have already made some valuable discoveries and have greatly enriched science with their knowledge of the deep-sea world of Australia’s west coast.
