Octopus Nursery Discovered 2 Miles Below Surface Might Also be Home of Potential New Species -- Costa
Octopus Nursery Discovered 2 Miles Below Surface Might Also be Home of Potential New Species — Costa RicaBy Rich Co Jun 30, 2023 07:51 PM EDT
Octopus Nursery Discovered 2 Miles Below Surface Might Also be Home of Potential New Species — Costa Rica
(Photo : Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble / Wikimedia Commons)
Off the coast of Costa Rica, researchers found an octopus nursery 2 miles below the surface. Additionally, they discovered a prospective new species in the area. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
Researchers discovered an octopus nursery 2 miles beneath the surface off the coast of Costa Rica. They also found what might be a new species in the area. It might be the third known instance of a location where a large number of the animals congregate to lay their eggs.
Active Octopus Nursery
On a three-week excursion this month, researchers on board the Falkor research vessel of the Schmidt Ocean Institute spotted hundreds of octopuses and observed the hatching of their young at the Dorado Outcrop, which is the size of a soccer field. It was among the six underwater mountains studied by the ship's underwater robot, ROV SuBastian, and is situated 1.7 miles below the surface in the lower parts of the so-called twilight zone.
Some of the octopuses, according to Beth Orcutt, a geomicrobiologist and senior research scientist at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in Maine, were about to burst. Jorge Cortés, a Center for Research in Marine Sciences and Limnology researcher, and Orcutt served as the expedition's co-leaders.
First Impression
Scientists' puzzle was answered when they found a group of octopus parents and babies that was active.
A huge group of octopuses were initially discovered on Dorado Outcrop in 2013 during an excursion to analyze the geochemistry of the region.
The grouping of octopuses in this manner on a low-temperature hydrothermal vent, a hole in the bottom where warm, chemical-rich fluids pour out, was the first time it had been observed. Octopuses are normally solitary animals that prefer cooler waters.
More:
https://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/57191/20230630/octopus-nursery-discovered-2-miles-below-surface-home-potential-new.htm
= new reply since forum marked as read
There are only three known sites where octopus mothers gather to brood.
Hilary Hanson
By
Hilary Hanson
Jul 1, 2023, 03:17 PM EDT
Marine scientists found a previously unknown octopus nursery in a discovery that could help lead to greater protection for the surrounding area off the Costa Rican coast.
“The discovery of a new active octopus nursery over 2,800 meters beneath the sea surface in Costa Rican waters proves there is still so much to learn about our Ocean,” Dr. Jyotika Virmani, an executive director at the Schmidt Ocean Institute, said in a statement from the nonprofit published Wednesday. The international team of scientists made their ocean expedition on the institute’s research vessel, the Falkor (too).
Brooding octopus mothers on an unnamed outcrop off the coast of Costa Rica.SCHMIDT OCEAN INSTITUTE
On the voyage, scientists explored the Dorado Outcrop, a rock formation where in 2013, octopus mothers were spotted gathering together to brood their eggs ― the first time scientists had ever seen that happen. But at the time, researchers weren’t sure if the nursery was viable. Deep-sea octopuses prefer cold temperatures, but the outcrop is next to a hydrothermal vent that causes warmer waters than the surrounding area, Gizmodo reported.
On the newest mission, scientists confirmed that the Dorado Outcrop was an “active nursery” and witnessed baby octopuses hatch. On top of that, they discovered another totally new nursery in the same general area. Those two nurseries, plus another one off the coast of Monterey, California, brings the total number of known octopus nurseries up to three.
More:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/octopus-nursery-costa-rica_n_64a050cde4b0c7e9d8e7aa25
This has probably been posted before, but, with apologies, I am posting it again:
It was emotional for me.