Scientists Identify 57 New Marine Species in Argentina's Mar del Plata Submarine Canyon

An international Species Discovery Workshop led by the Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census in partnership with the Schmidt Ocean Institute has identified 57 new marine species and five entirely new genera from Argentina's Mar del Plata Submarine Canyon. The results, announced on October 1, represent one of the largest single-expedition species discovery yields in recent deep-sea research.

The workshop brought together 20 taxonomists and early-career researchers from across Latin America and Europe to examine deep-sea biological samples collected during a 2025 expedition aboard the research vessel Falkor (too), using the remotely operated vehicle SuBastian. Over 4 million people watched the live-streamed dives, captivated by sprawling deep-sea coral reefs and fields of mushroom coral at 1,500 metres depth.

Among the discoveries, a translucent sea cucumber adorned with horn-like appendages earned the nickname 'Loki' for its resemblance to the Norse god. An orange seastar spotted during the expedition became a global sensation for its resemblance to the cartoon character Patrick Star, though it is not believed to be a new species. The team used integrated taxonomy methods to achieve what they describe as fast-track species identification.

The discoveries underscore how much of the deep ocean remains unexplored and uncharacterised. A follow-up expedition with Schmidt Ocean Institute is already planned for February to March 2027, targeting a different submarine canyon with anticipated high endemism. For marine conservation policy, the findings strengthen the case for protecting deep-sea canyon ecosystems that harbour biodiversity not found anywhere else.