A Type of Sea Cucumber See Through Found in Atacama Trench

KOMPAS.com – Scientists who went on an expedition to a depth of 8,000 meters under the sea to Atacama Trench find microscopic organismskind of sea ​​cucumber see through.

The submarine expedition was carried out in January. The Atacama Trench was created by the meeting of two tectonic plates at the Samudra Pasifik East.

“We have succeeded in taking humans to a place where no other humans have been before,” said Director of the Millennium Institute of Oceanography at the University of Concepcion. ChiliOsvaldo Ulloa as quoted from Science AlertSaturday (19/3/2022).

Ulloa joins American explorer Victor Vescovo and assistant Millennial director Ruben Escribano, on a 12-week voyage off the coast of northern Chile in a 5,900-kilometer-long trench that extends all the way to the equator.

When the expedition called Atacama Hadal reached a depth of 100 meters at the Atacama Trench, it was pitch black.

The visibility of the crew is limited to what the submarine’s LED lights can capture. Farther out of the darkness, it is written to appear extraordinary deep -sea life.

Also read: Ancient Sea Cucumber Species Found, Name Inspired by Science Fiction

“We found a geological structure, and there (the Atacama Trench) we saw a kind of holothurian or see-through sea cucumber such as jelly, which we have not yet recorded and are most likely a new species,” Ulloa said.

Continued our dives in the Atacama Trench yesterday with Dr. Ruben Escribano of Chile. Dove to ~7,200 meters near the Richards Deep, witnessing growths of ultra-deep ocean coral, Elpidids Peniagone (the small animals), and unknown colors (bacterial matting?) on rock outcroppings. pic.twitter.com/ouM7PuCeEK

– Victor Vescovo (@VictorVescovo) January 24, 2022

In addition, the scientists also discovered a community of filamentous bacteria, which were not even known to exist in the Atacama Trench.

“(Bacteria) that eat chemical and inorganic compounds,” he continued.

In addition to finding microscopic organisms such as translucent sea cucumbers in the depths of the Atacama Trench, this expedition also found amphipod species.

Also read: Unlike other animals, sea cucumbers mate by releasing sperm and eggs into the water

The organism is a type of crustacean that is closely related to shrimp, which are scavenger crustaceans, segmented worms, and translucent fish.

This species was found in the same place in a 2018 unmanned expedition.

Atacama Trench

The Atacama Trench, also known as the Peru-Chile Trench, is located at the confluence of the Nazca and South American tectonic plates. This is an area that has produced many earthquakes and tsunamis.

“We will place three sensors on the South American plate and two on the Nazca plate to see how the ocean floor is deformed,” Ulloa said.

For information, for now, this type of sensor is only available on land.

Also read: Ancient Sea Cucumber Species Found, Name Inspired by Science Fiction

The device, which will be installed, will allow scientists to observe the energy that builds up in areas that have not yet experienced an earthquake, helping to predict the next earthquake.

“This is a very ambitious project. The biggest experiment that has been carried out in underwater geology in Chile,” he said.

As for the plan, the sensors will be deployed in the second half of this year.

“There is a lot of interest from the international community to place more sensors in this region to study all the processes associated with the collision of these two plates,” said Ulloa.

Also read: 3 Benefits of Haisom, Nutritious Sea Cucumber Processed to be Served during Chinese New Year

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