Jakarta –
The sighting of the giant phantom jellyfish was seen for the first time during a diving expedition in early 2022, in the coastal waters of the Antarctic Peninsula. This animal lives up to its name, stretching up to 10 meters in length.
Since it was officially given the name Stygiomedusa gigantea in 1910, only 126 sightings of S. gigantea have been recorded. That’s why, meeting with this giant beast is something rare.
It is also not surprising that the encounter with S. gigantea in 2022 is specifically discussed in a paper published in the journal Polar Research of the Norwegian Polar Institute.
This paper comments on new opportunities in ecological research by private submarines such as the Viking Octantis, an expeditionary vessel belonging to Viking Cruises. These expeditions help researchers see animals that are difficult and expensive to observe.
“Here, we show that the personal submarine, which is now increasingly being used by the expeditionary shipping industry, can be a vessel for biological research in the polar region,” said the paper’s authors. IFL Science, Saturday (18/2/2023).
“We describe direct observation of the rare Scyphozoan Stygiomedusa gigantea in water depths of 80-280 m in the coastal waters of the Antarctic Peninsula as an example of the potential that personal submarines have for the scientific community, and we describe potential research avenues for utilizing this platform in the future, ” they wrote.
The giant ghost jellyfish is thought to lurk anywhere from the surface of the water to a depth of 6,665 meters, feeding on plankton and small fish. The upper part of its body which is shaped like a giant bell, can be one meter in size and drags four mouth arms at once to feed it.
This creature accidentally met people who were on a Viking Expedition. Currently Viking Expeditions take place on two ships, the Viking Octantis and the Viking Polaris.
“During every trip, our guests participate in real and significant science,” said Dr Damon Stanwell-Smith, Head of Science and Sustainability at Viking.
“Our scientific approach is centered on having a platform to explore and interpret what is found, and we believe this is the first of many scientific papers to be produced from research conducted aboard the Viking expedition,” he concluded.
Watch Video “The US was hit by Extreme Weather, Jellyfish Dragged to the Streets“
(rns/fay)
