Expedition Charts Seafloor of Cook Islands Amid Mining Concerns
Thousands of meters beneath the ocean’s surface, a remotely operated vehicle's camera filmed a ghostly white creature gliding over a seabed covered with polymetallic nodules — mineral-rich formations resembling blackened potatoes. The creature’s orchid-shaped fins undulated gracefully as it moved, its slender tentacles trailing behind.
This mysterious animal was identified as a bigfin squid (genus Magnapinna), a rarely seen organism with fewer than two dozen confirmed sightings and no physical specimens ever captured.
Scientific Significance and Public Engagement
Adam Soule, a geologist and oceanographer directing the U.S.-based Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute, which leads the expedition aboard the E/V Nautilus, expressed enthusiasm about the rare sighting. The expedition is funded through a 10-year, $200 million grant from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
“One of the cool things about the Nautilus is that there’s a lot of people following online, watching in real time and sending in comments,” Soule told Mongabay.
Mission Context
- The expedition focuses on mapping the Cook Islands' seafloor.
- The area holds interest due to potential mining of polymetallic nodules.
- Scientists emphasize environmental study alongside resource exploration.
About the Bigfin Squid
The bigfin squid’s elusive nature and unique appearance make it a subject of fascination and mystery within marine biology.
Its discovery during the expedition highlights the ocean’s vast unexplored biodiversity and challenges in deep-sea research.
“This otherworldly creature was a bigfin squid (genus Magnapinna), an organism that scientists have spotted fewer than two dozen times, and one that has never been physically captured.”
Author’s summary: The rare sighting of a bigfin squid amid the Cook Islands seafloor expedition underscores the ocean’s unexplored mysteries and raises awareness about deep-sea mining impacts.