Overview
- Researchers aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s Falkor (too) recorded a Stygiomedusa gigantea at roughly 250 meters along the Argentine continental slope.
- The medusa—described as about the size of a school bus with arms that can extend up to ten meters—was captured on video by the ROV during the expedition.
- Teams documented multiple cold‑water coral reef habitats, including a mapped hard‑bottom reef area of at least 400 square meters.
- A deep whale fall was recorded near 3,900 to 4,000 meters, adding a key habitat observation to the region’s ecological record.
- Scientists reported about 28 likely new species and collected an unprecedented suite of chemical, physical and biological samples, while also logging persistent seafloor debris such as fishing nets, plastic bags and a VHS cassette.