Expedition Charts Cook Islands Seafloor Amid Mining Motive Scrutiny
Thousands of meters beneath the ocean surface, a remotely operated vehicle captured footage of a ghostly white creature gliding over a seabed covered with polymetallic nodules — mineral-rich rocks resembling darkened potatoes. The creature’s orchid-like fins rippled gracefully as its long tentacles trailed behind.
This remarkable being turned out to be a bigfin squid (genus Magnapinna), a rare organism scientists have seen fewer than twenty times and never physically collected.
Discovery Sparks Scientific Excitement
Adam Soule, geologist and oceanographer leading the expedition for the U.S.-based Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute, said the sighting provoked strong enthusiasm among the crew aboard the research vessel E/V Nautilus.
“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,” said Soule to Mongabay.
The Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute and its partner, the Ocean Exploration Trust, work under a decade-long, $200 million grant from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The project supports the ongoing exploration of deep-sea environments, including regions near the Cook Islands.
Public Engagement in Real Time
The live-streamed nature of the Nautilus missions allows global audiences to witness discoveries as they happen, offering both transparency and educational outreach for ocean science.
Author’s summary: A U.S.-led deep-sea expedition near the Cook Islands filmed a rare bigfin squid, thrilling researchers and public viewers worldwide through real-time broadcasts.