A Graneledone octopus, a suspected new species, moves across the seafloor during a deep-sea ocean expedition off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago. This species was first observed during an expedition Dr. Diva Amon (SpeSeas) participated in 2014, but was not confirmed or collected until this mission. (Photo: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute)
Trinidad and Tobago is a small island nation in the Caribbean, sitting right off the coast of Venezuela. While it only has a land area of 1,981 square miles, it boasts rich marine ecosystems that are home to hundreds of species. Last July, marine scientists from Trinidad and Tobago conducted their most comprehensive deep-sea survey of the islands’ surrounding ocean to date. Carried out during an expedition aboard Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor (too), it marked the first time local researchers led a scientific journey of this kind.
During the month-long expedition, the team discovered 25 cold-seep ecosystems with 20 suspected new species, including corals, carnivorous sponges, and squat lobsters, among other animals. The researchers also documented at least 54 species that had never been observed before in the waters of Trinidad and Tobago, such as ghost sharks and zombie worms. They also mapped over 4,300 square miles of the country’s uncharted seafloor, representing about 13% of the country’s marine territory.
Among the highlights of this expedition is the chance to confirm whether an octopus that was first spotted during a 2014 expedition belongs to a new species—something they’ll be able to determine with the data collected on the latest expedition. They also came across a dead manta ray sunken to the ocean floor, having turned into a source of food for crabs and worms, and a black swallower fish with a distended stomach due to eating a meal much larger than itself.
The team also collected over 700 specimens, which will be stored at the Zoology Museum at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, in Trinidad and Tobago. This massive assortment will increase the museum’s deep-sea collection by twelve-fold, allowing local researchers to learn more about the surrounding ecosystems and any alterations they go through in the coming years due to global warming.
Sadly, despite this being a deep-sea expedition, meaning it is devoted to ecosystems at least 656 feet below the surface, the team also found evidence of human-made trash. To Amon, this is a reminder that places where humans have never been still bear our impacts. With some luck, these striking images of the creatures who call the deep-sea home, captured by the ROV SuBastian of the Schmidt Ocean Institute, will inspire us to take better care of our oceans.
“As the first locally led deep-sea expedition in Trinidad and Tobago’s history, these discoveries are proof that Caribbean scientists can uncover our own deep-sea backyard,” said Dr. Diva Amon, the expedition’s chief scientist. “Every new discovery we make, whether ecosystem, species or behavior, deepens our understanding of what’s at stake and strengthens our ability to be true stewards of this largely unseen but critical part of our country.”
Take a look at some of the deep-sea creatures spotted off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago during the first expedition led by local scientists.
An eelpout (Pachycara caribbaeum) lies on a bed of chemosynthetic mussels (Gigantidas childressi) off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago. Ninety-three percent of Trinidad and Tobago lies below recreational scuba depths, placing its largest ecosystems in the mesophotic zone (between 30 and 199 meters) and the deep ocean. (Photo: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute)
A cold-water coral recorded at a depth of 1,055 meters (3,461 feet) provides habitat for marine life on the seafloor. While warm-water coral reefs at shallow recreational depths are widely known, deep-sea cold-water corals are far more abundant yet remain understudied. These complex ecosystems support diverse marine species, including squat lobsters, as pictured here. (Photo: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute)
A Spotwing Scorpionfish (Neomerinthe beanorum), rests on the seafloor at a depth of 148 meters. While the expedition focused primarily on deep ocean waters, researchers also surveyed this shallower mesophotic coastal area to gather high-resolution mapping and biological data needed to support new marine protections. (Photo: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute)
A chimaera, or ghost shark, swims near a cold seep at a depth of 2,355 meters. Scientists discovered 25 cold seeps during the recent deep-sea expedition. Unlike sunlight-dependent ecosystems, marine life near these seafloor fissures relies on chemosynthetic energy generated by gas escaping from the Earth's surface. (Photo: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute)
Scientists observed this lizardfish at a depth of 148 meters while exploring a slope off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. (Photo: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute)
A false catshark (Pseudotriakis microdon) swims near the seafloor off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago. Named for their catlike eyes, false catsharks are slow-moving ground sharks often called “sofa sharks” due to their soft, flabby bodies. The species is found globally in deep waters, and researchers recorded this footage at a depth of 1,086 meters during the expedition. (Photo: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute)
Symbiotic brittle stars cling to a deep-sea coral off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago. A research team led by marine biologist Dr. Diva Amon (SpeSeas), composed largely of Trinbagonian scientists, surveyed the island nation's deep-water territory to document rare ecosystems and guide local conservation efforts. (Photo: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute)
A king crab (Lithodes genus) crawls across the seafloor at a depth of 1,083 meters. Top predators in deep-sea environments, researchers documented these crabs while searching for bubble streams associated with unexplored cold seeps. (Photo: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute)
A shrimp perches on a glass sponge in the waters of Trinidad and Tobago. PhD student Robert Cassidy (National Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid, Spain) sampled seawater and deep-sea sponges like this during an oceanographic survey to collect environmental DNA, or eDNA. Marine organisms such as glass sponges filter huge volumes of water, giving scientists a natural way to detect regional biological diversity. (Photo: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute)
A mushroom coral rests on the seafloor at a depth of 1,277 meters off Trinidad and Tobago. Less than 0.001% of the island nation's deep-ocean territory has been explored due to technological constraints, leaving significant knowledge gaps about deep-water marine life in the region. (Photo: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute)
Deep-sea coral gardens and unique marine environments thrive off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago. Resting on the continental shelf, more than 93% of the island nation's territory consists of a “twilight” zone (depths between 30 to 199 meters) and deep ocean waters down to 4,000 meters. The region serves as a biodiversity hotspot for mesophotic coral, sponge gardens, mud volcanoes, and cold seeps. (Photo: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute)
The science team encountered this rare manta ray (Mobula) fall at 1,025 meters depth off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago. When animals die in the Ocean, their bodies often sink to the seafloor, creating a rich food buffet that feeds hundreds of deep-sea species in an often food-scarce environment. (Photo: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute)
A black swallower fish (Chiasmodon niger) swims at a depth of 1,259 meters during a remotely operated vehicle dive off Trinidad and Tobago. Known for their expandable stomachs and dislocating jaws, these rare deep-sea fish can swallow prey larger than themselves. This specimen's translucent belly reveals a recent meal. (Photo: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute)
This carnivorous sponge from the genus Chondrocladia, observed at 1,075 meters, is one of several suspected new species documented during the Deep Wonders of Trinidad and Tobago expedition. arine life in the region. (Photo: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute)
Two species of squat lobsters rest on a black coral at a depth of 1,143 meters. In the deep sea, a single cold-water coral colony acts as a sanctuary and foraging ground, providing habitat for diverse organisms including squat lobsters, brittle stars, shrimp, and fish. (Photo: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute)
