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When service technician Jenn Wilson received an invitation from Schmidt Ocean Institute to join their 21-day expedition aboard Falkor (too), she knew it was a rare opportunity. She wasn’t just joining a crew - she was helping make history.
The mission: to explore Argentina’s Mar del Plata Canyon, a vast and largely uncharted underwater landscape nearly twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. For over a decade, scientists studied this region using nets and trawls, collecting samples without ever seeing the seafloor. This expedition marked the first time the canyon was explored live using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) equipped with sophisticated cameras and sampling tools.
Jenn’s role was critical. She worked closely with the Schmidt team to care for the ship’s suite of Sea-Bird Scientific sensors, including the ECO, C-Star, and SBE 911plus. The primary CTD used on this cruise, the SBE 49 FastCAT, was integrated directly with the ROV Subastian, allowing for real-time, high-resolution data collection from the depths.
As Subastian descended into the canyon, it revealed a breathtaking world teeming with life. The science team documented deep-sea coral reefs at a depth of 1,014 meters (deeper than half a mile), including Bathelia candida, a stony, habitat-forming coral species. At nearly 1,500 meters (almost a mile), they discovered a sprawling field of red Anthomastus sp., a soft mushroom coral. In total, scientists suspect they’ve discovered over 40 new species, including sea anemones, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, snails, corals, and crinoids.
“You spend years supporting this technology from the surface, and suddenly you’re watching it reveal ecosystems no one’s ever seen before,” Jenn said. “It’s surreal and deeply rewarding.”
The expedition was livestreamed on YouTube and Twitch, allowing the public to witness these discoveries in real time. But the journey also revealed a sobering truth: even in the depths of the Mar del Plata Canyon, human impact was visible. The team, along with the livestream audience, observed debris including shoes, plastic bags, and fishing gear scattered across the seafloor.
The story quickly gained traction, going viral across social media and earning coverage from major outlets including The New York Times. The data collected during the expedition will serve as a foundation for future research and resource management, helping scientists better understand and protect these fragile ecosystems.
Read the full press release from Schmidt Ocean Institute to learn more.
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