#deep-sea-biodiversity

#deep-sea-biodiversity

Argentina's deep sea holds more biodiversity than scientists previously thought. An expedition that traveled from the north of Buenos Aires province to Tierra del Fuego, the country's southernmost point, observed the world's largest known Bathelia candida coral reef, worms, sea urchins, snails, anemones, and a specimen that captured the public's attention: a rare phantom jellyfish that can grow as large as a school bus.

The lava heron also has a much thicker bill than other closely related herons - an adaptation linked to feeding among sharp volcanic rocks and hard-shelled prey. "What we learned was something that hadn't been reported before," Mendales said. The discovery underscores how much remains unknown, even in iconic places like the Galápagos, said John Dumbacher, the Academy's curator of birds and mammals and Mendales' thesis adviser.