[ad_1]
The longest living creature has ever been discovered in the depths of the ocean off the coast of Western Australia.
Underwater explorers found the 150-foot (46-meter) long “UFO” creature, known as a siphonophore, in the deep-sea canyons near the Ningaloo reef.
The researchers used ROV SuBastian, an underwater robot, to complete 20 dives to depths of 14,764 feet (4.5 km) over a period of 181 hours.
Scientists detected the spiral siphonophore, a floating fibrous creature made up of small zoos, deep in the Indian Ocean.
The researchers used an underwater robot called the ROV SuBastian to complete 20 dives to depths of 14,764 feet (4,500 meters) over a period of 181 hours. (Getty)
The creature is said to be more than the length of blue whales, which can reach up to 100 feet (30 meters) in length
The Schmidt Ocean Institute tweeted a video of the creature describing it as “beautiful” and “UFO-like.”
But the discovery of the giant gelatinous chain was not the only unique finding. Experts also discovered 30 new underwater species of some of the deepest marine invertebrates and fish ever documented in the region.
They found large communities of glass sponges in Cape Range Canyon and collected the first giant hydroids – enormously long feather colonies – in Australia.
And for the first time in Western Australia, scientists found Taning’s bioluminescent octopus squid, long-tailed cucumber, and other mollusks, barnacles, and lobsters.
Chief Scientist Dr. Nerida Wilson of the Museum of Western Australia said: “We suspected that these deep-water areas would be diverse, but we were surprised by the importance of what we have seen.”
The research was a collaboration between the Museum of Western Australia, Curtin University in Perth, Geoscience Australia, the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, and the Schmidt Ocean Institute.
And the expedition was part of a yearlong initiative in Australia to explore the area with a team of international experts.
Branchiocerianthus is a giant hydroid consisting of a single polyp on a long stem that lives in a sandy bed. (SWNS)
Using the underwater robot, SuBastian scientists can explore deep-sea canyons and coral reefs that have never been seen before.
Schmidt Ocean Institute co-founder Wendy Schmidt said: “There is so much we don’t know about the depths of the sea, and there are countless species never seen before.
“Our planet is deeply interconnected: what happens in the depths of the sea impacts life on earth and vice versa. This research is vital to advance our understanding of that connection and the importance of protecting these fragile ecosystems.
“Ningaloo’s canyons are just one of the many underwater wonders we are about to discover that can help us better understand our planet.”
