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The expedition was part of the Nippon Foundation鈥揘ekton Ocean Census program, the world鈥檚 largest initiative to accelerate the discovery of ocean life. The Ocean Census scientists led the species discovery efforts, uncovering a wide range of potentially new marine life 鈥� including corals, sponges, snails, sea urchins, benthic ctenophores, and sea stars. The exact number of new species will be announced later this year following an Ocean Census workshop, where taxonomic experts will formally assess and catalog the findings. The GoSouth team 鈥� a collaboration between the University of Plymouth (UK), 黑料视频 Helmholtz-Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (Germany), and the British Antarctic Survey (UK) 鈥� investigated the effects of geohazards, including tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquakes.

鈥淭his expedition has given us a glimpse into one of the most remote and biologically rich parts of our ocean. This is exactly why the Ocean Census exists 鈥� to accelerate our understanding of ocean life before it鈥檚 too late,鈥� said Dr. Michelle Taylor, head of science and expedition principal investigator at the Ocean Census, and senior lecturer at the University of Essex. 鈥淭he 35 days at sea were an exciting rollercoaster of scientific discovery; the implications of which will be felt for many years to come as discoveries filter into management action.鈥�

Mother Nature threw everything she had at the expedition, said Taylor, including a subsea earthquake, tropical storm force winds with hurricane-level gusts, eight-meter (26-foot) waves, and icebergs to navigate.

Located in the South Atlantic, the South Sandwich Islands are part of a rich mosaic of geologic features such as hadal zone trenches, underwater volcanoes, and spreading centers 鈥� features created by tectonic forces that have supported the evolution of species found nowhere else on the planet. It took eight days for the research vessel to travel to the islands from the port of Punta Arenas, Chile.

The GoSouth team, led by Co-Chief Scientist Dr. Jenny Gales, discovered two pockmarks in the mapping data of an underwater caldera 鈥� a bowl-shaped depression in the seafloor, left after a volcano erupts. Pockmarks can indicate hydrothermal activity. Using a 鈥渘ested鈥� approach, the team deployed Schmidt Ocean Institute鈥檚 remotely operated vehicle, SuBastian to map the pockmarks at a higher resolution and confirm the presence of vents.

The larger pockmark contained three hydrothermal vents, and the smaller contained one. Located at 700 meters depth (nearly 2300 feet), they are one of the shallowest hydrothermal vents to have been discovered near the South Sandwich Islands, and the only ones to be explored using a remotely operated vehicle. The tallest vent chimney was four meters (13 feet), making it about as tall as a basketball hoop. Each vent was covered with an array of life dependent on chemosynthesis, including sea snails and barnacles. Thriving coral gardens and large sponges were found in close proximity to the vents 鈥� an unusual observation, said Taylor.

鈥淒iscovering these hydrothermal vents was a magical moment, as they have never been seen here before,鈥� said Gales, an associate professor in Ocean Exploration at the University of Plymouth (UK). 鈥淚t鈥檚 an incredible discovery that provides valuable insights into the area鈥檚 tectonic activity. Making such a discovery is rare. It highlights the importance of ocean exploration and seafloor mapping.鈥�

In addition to the vents, other notable observations during the expedition included:

• In the trench, scientists found snailfish eggs that had been laid on a black coral, as well as a potential new sea cucumber species;
• large pumice blocks, indicating that the South Sandwich Islands are capable of explosive volcanism; 
• a vibrant coral garden located west of Saunders Island at a depth of 120 meters (394 feet); 
• Capturing the first footage of Akarotaxis aff. gouldae, a species of dragonfish that was discovered two years ago.

鈥淭he challenging ocean and weather conditions and the isolated location of the South Sandwich Islands capture the imagination of the boldest explorers 鈥� often the closest humans to the vessel were on the International Space Station,鈥� said Schmidt Ocean Institute鈥檚 Executive Director, Dr. Jyotika Virmani. 鈥淲e are proud to have collaborated with Ocean Census in their mission to advance the discovery of marine life and GoSouth in their quest to better understand the geological nature of this dynamic corner of the world.鈥� 

Contact person:
Dr. Tom Kwasnitschka, tkwasnitschka(at)geomar.de