Overview
- The campaign, called “Vida en los extremos,” began on December 14 and runs to January 10, led by biologist María Emilia Bravo with a 25-member team that includes 17 Argentine researchers.
- Initial dives have returned high-definition footage of deep-sea fauna, including anemones, fragile siphonophores nicknamed “floating balls,” and an unusual vertically oriented fish observed during the stream.
- At least 15 ROV immersions are planned across the Salado–Colorado, Colorado–Rawson and Malvinas sectors, with SuBastian capable of operating to roughly 4,500 meters.
- Scientists are targeting methane cold seeps and chemosynthetic communities to document biodiversity, assess ecological functions, and sample microplastics relevant to climate and environmental monitoring.
- The voyage is the third and final Falkor (too) campaign in Argentine waters, and all data, images and livestreams are being made publicly available via Schmidt Ocean Institute platforms.