Scientists exploring the South Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Argentina have discovered what they believe are 28 possible new species — along with the world's largest known Bathelia candida coral reef and a phantom jellyfish as long as a school bus.
The expedition, carried out by the Schmidt Ocean Institute aboard their research vessel Falkor (too), revealed a deep-sea ecosystem far richer than anyone had anticipated in waters that had barely been explored before.
'We were not expecting to see this level of biodiversity in the Argentine deep sea, and are so excited to see it teeming with life,' said expedition chief scientist María Emilia Bravo. 'We opened a window into our country's biodiversity only to find there are so many more windows left to be opened.'
**A Coral Reef the Size of Vatican City**
One of the expedition's most striking discoveries was the extent of a Bathelia candida coral reef — a cold-water coral formation deep beneath the surface. The reef turned out to be the largest known example of its kind in the world, roughly the size of Vatican City.
Cold-water corals like Bathelia candida grow slowly over centuries in total darkness, relying not on sunlight but on organic particles drifting down from above. Their three-dimensional structure provides shelter, nursery grounds, spawning areas, and feeding habitats for hundreds of other species.
**The Phantom Jellyfish**
Among the most dramatic sightings of the expedition was an extremely rare phantom jellyfish — *Stygiomedusa gigantea* — filmed by the remotely operated vehicle SuBastian. Known to grow as long as a school bus (up to 10 metres), the phantom jellyfish has been observed fewer than 120 times in recorded scientific history.
The creature drifts through the deep ocean using four broad, curtain-like 'oral arms' instead of tentacles, trapping small prey as it moves. Its translucent, ghostly appearance against the pitch-black deep is one of the ocean's most otherworldly spectacles.
**28 Potential New Species**
Beyond the jellyfish and coral reef, the expedition documented 28 possible new species — sea snails, sea urchins, anemones, and polychaete worms — living in one of the least-explored stretches of ocean on the planet.
The team also located Argentina's first documented deep-sea whale fall — the remains of a cetacean resting approximately 2.4 miles below the surface, now providing habitat for sharks, crabs, and specialist bone-eating worms.
'With every expedition to the deep sea, we find the ocean is full of life — as much as we see on land, and perhaps more because the ocean contains 98 percent of the living space on this planet,' said Schmidt Ocean Institute executive director Jyotika Virmani.
Each dive into these uncharted depths reminds us: the Earth still holds its mysteries. And most of them are beautiful. 🌊
*Sources: Schmidt Ocean Institute, Popular Science, Argentina Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía*
