Scientists have identified 57 new marine species and five new genera in Argentina’s Mar del Plata Submarine Canyon during a two-week international research workshop. The discoveries include “Loki”, a horned sea cucumber named after the Norse trickster god, found at a depth of 2,577 metres.
The findings are based on samples collected during a 2025 expedition by the Schmidt Ocean Institute using a remotely operated underwater vehicle. The canyon plunges more than 3,500 metres deep, where warm subtropical currents meet cold, nutrient-rich sub-Antarctic waters.
Among the discoveries are 20 new species of copepods, 22 echinoderms, 14 cnidarians and one tusk-shaped mollusc. Researchers also identified corals that could represent new genera and a new family, pending genetic analysis. The specimens will be preserved in Argentine national collections, while the findings are recorded on an open-access marine species database.
More than four million people watched parts of the expedition via livestream. The Schmidt Ocean Institute plans another expedition in early 2027 to explore a different submarine canyon off Argentina, where scientists expect to find species unique to the region.
https://people.com/57-new-species-discovered-in-deep-sea-canyon-near-argentina-12162934
