In the depths of the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Australia, ancient seamounts held a secret that scientists uncovered only recently: 149 species previously unknown to science. An expedition aboard the research vessel RV Investigator surveyed underwater volcanoes near Christmas Island and the Cocos Islands and collected a total of 1059 species, many of which turned out to be new to science.
The study, published in June in the journal Deep-Sea Research Part II, was conducted by Tim O'Hara of Museums Victoria. Previously, the deep-water areas of this part of the ocean had remained virtually unstudied — attention was focused on the shallow waters near the islands. Now it has become clear how large the "data gap" concerning the seabed of the Indian Ocean is.
Seamounts act as oases: they alter currents, concentrate nutrients and create conditions for filter feeders and other inhabitants. Among the finds are a sea cucumber of the genus Oneirophanta, the chlorophthalmid fish and a parasitic barnacle of the genus Rhizolepas. Scientists also discovered a previously unknown caldera, nicknamed the "Eye of Sauron," and brought up about a thousand shark teeth in a trawl, including fossils of the megalodon.
These finds provide a starting point for understanding ecosystems that may face growing pressure: climate change, overfishing, marine heatwaves and possible deep-sea mining. Polymetallic nodules, valuable for the production of electric vehicle batteries and wind turbines, have already been discovered in the area.
Australia approved the expedition back in 2020 to study biodiversity before the creation of Indian Ocean marine parks. Similar research continues in other regions — from the Coral Sea to Antarctica, where every new descent into the depths brings unexpected discoveries.
When we finally begin to look into the depths, the ocean responds with new forms of life, reminding us how fragile and interconnected its ecosystems are.
