Deep-sea drama: Patrick Star lookalike and ‘drag queen' crab steal the show in Argentina's viral ocean livestream
The Argentine-American scientific mission is for the first time exploring the Mar del Plata canyon, a submarine gorge which plunges nearly 4,000 metres (13,000 feet) deep, off the coast of the seaside resort of the same name.
The awed conversations between scientists leading the expedition and the explanations they give to viewers allow the public a rare insight into the hidden wonders of marine biology.
In one instance, the camera on the SuBastian underwater robot shows a weird-looking, little white animal. One of the scientists on the team can be heard asking her colleagues, 'Do we want it?'
Screen grab taken from a handout video released by the Schmidt Ocean Institute and recorded by the ROV SuBastian grabbing underwater flora at 1237 metres of depth at the Mar del Plata Canyon. — AFP pic/Schmidt Ocean Institute/ROV SuBastian
'Yes, yes, we want it!' reply dozens of messages in the live stream chat before the image shows the suction device being activated to suck up the specimen for study.
'Oh, I love these little creatures,' says one user. 'I'm obsessed!' comments another. 'Don't take the little one away!' pleads a third.
The live stream began a week ago and exceeded one million views per day since Thursday, when it also began to be broadcast on television.
'There are cold-water corals with the same colours as those in the Caribbean. How can that be? At a depth of 3,000 metres!' Pablo Penchaszadeh, a marine biologist and painter who is on board the expedition as an artist, told AFP.
Patrick Star
The 20-day expedition 'Underwater Oases of the Mar del Plata Canyon' involves 25 scientists — most of them from the Argentine research agency CONICET.
Part of the GEMPA deep sea study group, with support from the US Schmidt Ocean Institute, it will end on August 10.
Aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute's 'Falkor (too)' ship, scientists remotely operate the robot, which can descend to a depth of 4,500 metres (14,700 feet).
They collect biological samples with its robotic arms and other instruments, and send back high-definition images.
'The fact that anyone can connect from home and see what we are seeing live is a unique opportunity,' explains expedition leader Daniel Lauretta in a statement.
'Science is no longer something distant or inaccessible, but becomes part of everyday life.'
This week, social media users were delighted when an orange starfish with two symmetrical bumps resembling buttocks appeared on the live stream. It quickly prompted comparisons with Patrick Star, from the popular animated series SpongeBob SquarePants.
Memes circulated joking that 'Patrick is Argentine,' marine biology became a trending topic on social media, and the broadcast reached the screens of hundreds of thousands of captivated viewers.
'I came to see the big-bottomed star, is it here?' asked one user upon entering the YouTube chat.
Spectators also gave other sea creatures nicknames: a king crab was dubbed 'Drag Queen,' and sea cucumber was fondly called 'Sweet Potato.'
A shrimp (Caridea) at 1271 metres of depth at the Mar del Plata Canyon. — AFP pic/Schmidt Ocean Institute/ROV SuBastian
'Beacon of light'
This is the first time that human eyes — albeit remotely — have seen this underwater oasis in real time, where the cold, nutrient-rich Malvinas current and warm, salty Brazil current converge.
The confluence is 'one of the most energetic regions in our global Ocean,' according to the website of the Schmidt Institute, with the temperature difference creating an area teeming with marine wildlife and flora.
'We are already seeing incredible things: animals that have never been recorded in this area, underwater landscapes that look like something from another planet, and behaviours that surprise even the most experienced scientists,' said Lauretta.
But funding for such expeditions is under threat in Argentina.
CONICET, the government's scientific research arm, has been severely underfunded by libertarian President Javier Milei, who has implemented draconian cuts to public spending with his infamous 'chainsaw.'
Its budget fell by 21 per cent last year, salaries have plummeted by 35 percent since the Milei took office in December 2023, and the cuts have led to an exodus of scientists.
As a result, in between 'oohs' and 'aahs' of wonder, messages of support are flooding the live stream's chat: 'Long live Conicet!'.
'Seeing people being passionate about their job is attractive,' said Tomas Atilio Luppi, a biologist at the CONICET-affiliated marine and coastal research institute in Mar del Plata, who is not directly involved in the campaign.
'This is happening at a very difficult time,' he told AFP of the popular broadcast. 'Science is in a very complicated position, both financially and in terms of support and human resources.'
'The fact that this craze is happening is like a beacon of light.' — AFP
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The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Patrick Star and 'Sweet Potato' sea cucumber: underwater robot live stream captivates Argentines
MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina: A robot explores the dark, cold, deep sea floor of the South Atlantic, transmitting images of vibrant coral and fish never seen before as scientists give live commentary via YouTube. And Argentines can't get enough of it. The Argentine-American scientific mission is for the first time exploring the Mar del Plata canyon, a submarine gorge which plunges nearly 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) deep, off the coast of the seaside resort of the same name. The awed conversations between scientists leading the expedition and the explanations they give to viewers allow the public a rare insight into the hidden wonders of marine biology. In one instance, the camera on the SuBastian underwater robot shows a weird-looking, little white animal. One of the scientists on the team can be heard asking her colleagues, "Do we want it?" "Yes, yes, we want it!" reply dozens of messages in the live stream chat before the image shows the suction device being activated to suck up the specimen for study. "Oh, I love these little creatures," says one user. "I'm obsessed!" comments another. "Don't take the little one away!" pleads a third. When the live stream began it exceeded one million views per day, before it also began to be broadcast on television. "There are cold-water corals with the same colors as those in the Caribbean. How can that be? At a depth of 3,000 meters!" Pablo Penchaszadeh, a marine biologist and painter who is on board the expedition as an artist, told AFP. Patrick Star The 20-day expedition "Underwater Oases of the Mar del Plata Canyon" involves 25 scientists – most of them from the Argentine research agency CONICET. Part of the GEMPA deep sea study group, with support from the US Schmidt Ocean Institute, it was due to end on August 10. Aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute's "Falkor (too)" ship, scientists remotely operate the robot, which can descend to a depth of 4,500 meters (14,700 feet). They collect biological samples with its robotic arms and other instruments, and send back high-definition images. "The fact that anyone can connect from home and see what we are seeing live is a unique opportunity," explains expedition leader Daniel Lauretta in a statement. "Science is no longer something distant or inaccessible, but becomes part of everyday life." Social media users were delighted when an orange starfish with two symmetrical bumps resembling buttocks appeared on the live stream. It quickly prompted comparisons with Patrick Star, from the popular animated series SpongeBob SquarePants . Memes circulated joking that "Patrick is Argentine", marine biology became a trending topic on social media, and the broadcast reached the screens of hundreds of thousands of captivated viewers. "I came to see the big-bottomed star, is it here?" asked one user upon entering the YouTube chat. Spectators also gave other sea creatures nicknames: a king crab was dubbed "Drag Queen", and a sea cucumber was fondly called "Sweet Potato". 'Beacon of light' This is the first time that human eyes – albeit remotely – have seen this underwater oasis in real time, where the cold, nutrient-rich Falkland Current and warm, salty Brazil Current converge. The confluence is "one of the most energetic regions in our global Ocean," according to the website of the Schmidt Institute, with the temperature difference creating an area teeming with marine wildlife and flora. "We are already seeing incredible things: animals that have never been recorded in this area, underwater landscapes that look like something from another planet, and behaviors that surprise even the most experienced scientists," said Lauretta. But funding for such expeditions is under threat in Argentina. CONICET, the government's scientific research arm, has been severely underfunded by libertarian President Javier Milei, who has implemented draconian cuts to public spending with his infamous "chainsaw." Its budget fell by 21% last year, salaries have plummeted by 35% since Milei took office in December 2023, and the cuts have led to an exodus of scientists. As a result, in between "oohs" and "aahs" of wonder, messages of support are flooding the live stream's chat: "Long live Conicet!". "Seeing people being passionate about their job is attractive," said Tomas Atilio Luppi, a biologist at the CONICET-affiliated marine and coastal research institute in Mar del Plata, who is not directly involved in the campaign. "This is happening at a very difficult time," he told AFP of the popular broadcast. "Science is in a very complicated position, both financially and in terms of support and human resources." "The fact that this craze is happening is like a beacon of light." – AFP
Malay Mail
5 days ago
- Malay Mail
Deep-sea drama: Patrick Star lookalike and ‘drag queen' crab steal the show in Argentina's viral ocean livestream
MAR DEL PLATA (Argentina), Aug 4 — A robot explores the dark, cold, deep sea floor of the South Atlantic, transmitting images of vibrant coral and fish never seen before as scientists give live commentary via YouTube. And Argentines can't get enough of it. The Argentine-American scientific mission is for the first time exploring the Mar del Plata canyon, a submarine gorge which plunges nearly 4,000 metres (13,000 feet) deep, off the coast of the seaside resort of the same name. The awed conversations between scientists leading the expedition and the explanations they give to viewers allow the public a rare insight into the hidden wonders of marine biology. In one instance, the camera on the SuBastian underwater robot shows a weird-looking, little white animal. One of the scientists on the team can be heard asking her colleagues, 'Do we want it?' Screen grab taken from a handout video released by the Schmidt Ocean Institute and recorded by the ROV SuBastian grabbing underwater flora at 1237 metres of depth at the Mar del Plata Canyon. — AFP pic/Schmidt Ocean Institute/ROV SuBastian 'Yes, yes, we want it!' reply dozens of messages in the live stream chat before the image shows the suction device being activated to suck up the specimen for study. 'Oh, I love these little creatures,' says one user. 'I'm obsessed!' comments another. 'Don't take the little one away!' pleads a third. The live stream began a week ago and exceeded one million views per day since Thursday, when it also began to be broadcast on television. 'There are cold-water corals with the same colours as those in the Caribbean. How can that be? At a depth of 3,000 metres!' Pablo Penchaszadeh, a marine biologist and painter who is on board the expedition as an artist, told AFP. Patrick Star The 20-day expedition 'Underwater Oases of the Mar del Plata Canyon' involves 25 scientists — most of them from the Argentine research agency CONICET. Part of the GEMPA deep sea study group, with support from the US Schmidt Ocean Institute, it will end on August 10. Aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute's 'Falkor (too)' ship, scientists remotely operate the robot, which can descend to a depth of 4,500 metres (14,700 feet). They collect biological samples with its robotic arms and other instruments, and send back high-definition images. 'The fact that anyone can connect from home and see what we are seeing live is a unique opportunity,' explains expedition leader Daniel Lauretta in a statement. 'Science is no longer something distant or inaccessible, but becomes part of everyday life.' This week, social media users were delighted when an orange starfish with two symmetrical bumps resembling buttocks appeared on the live stream. It quickly prompted comparisons with Patrick Star, from the popular animated series SpongeBob SquarePants. Memes circulated joking that 'Patrick is Argentine,' marine biology became a trending topic on social media, and the broadcast reached the screens of hundreds of thousands of captivated viewers. 'I came to see the big-bottomed star, is it here?' asked one user upon entering the YouTube chat. Spectators also gave other sea creatures nicknames: a king crab was dubbed 'Drag Queen,' and sea cucumber was fondly called 'Sweet Potato.' A shrimp (Caridea) at 1271 metres of depth at the Mar del Plata Canyon. — AFP pic/Schmidt Ocean Institute/ROV SuBastian 'Beacon of light' This is the first time that human eyes — albeit remotely — have seen this underwater oasis in real time, where the cold, nutrient-rich Malvinas current and warm, salty Brazil current converge. The confluence is 'one of the most energetic regions in our global Ocean,' according to the website of the Schmidt Institute, with the temperature difference creating an area teeming with marine wildlife and flora. 'We are already seeing incredible things: animals that have never been recorded in this area, underwater landscapes that look like something from another planet, and behaviours that surprise even the most experienced scientists,' said Lauretta. But funding for such expeditions is under threat in Argentina. CONICET, the government's scientific research arm, has been severely underfunded by libertarian President Javier Milei, who has implemented draconian cuts to public spending with his infamous 'chainsaw.' Its budget fell by 21 per cent last year, salaries have plummeted by 35 percent since the Milei took office in December 2023, and the cuts have led to an exodus of scientists. As a result, in between 'oohs' and 'aahs' of wonder, messages of support are flooding the live stream's chat: 'Long live Conicet!'. 'Seeing people being passionate about their job is attractive,' said Tomas Atilio Luppi, a biologist at the CONICET-affiliated marine and coastal research institute in Mar del Plata, who is not directly involved in the campaign. 'This is happening at a very difficult time,' he told AFP of the popular broadcast. 'Science is in a very complicated position, both financially and in terms of support and human resources.' 'The fact that this craze is happening is like a beacon of light.' — AFP
Malay Mail
01-08-2025
- Malay Mail
After two-year Darwin-inspired voyage, young scientists return with climate warning and hope
ROTTERDAM, Aug 2 — After a two-year around-the-world ocean voyage inspired by Charles Darwin, scientists and crew sailed home on a historic vessel into Rotterdam yesterday bearing a warning about climate change—but also a message of hope. The majestic three-masted Oosterschelde, the last remaining vessel from a fleet of Dutch schooners that criss-crossed the globe in the early 20th century, arrived at a welcome befitting a voyage of more than 40,000 nautical miles (74,000 kilometres, 46,000 miles). Ceremonially escorted by more than a dozen vessels ranging from tall ships to steamships, all blaring horns, the Oosterschelde received a 'water cannon salute' from fire service boats, as hundreds waved and cheered from the banks. Like Darwin in 1831, the Oosterschelde departed the British port of Plymouth in August 2023 to embark on a voyage of discovery that took in the major stops explored during the British naturalist's world-changing mission aboard the HMS Beagle. From the Falkland Islands to the southern tips of Africa, South America and Australia, the trip closely shadowed Darwin's voyage that inspired his groundbreaking theory of natural selection described in 'On the Origin of Species'. Aboard the Oosterschelde at various points of the voyage were some of the world's best young conservationists, 100 scientists aged 18-25, selected to study a species also observed by Darwin, himself aged 22 at the time of his trip. Giant tortoises, Chilean dolphins, and howler monkeys were just some of the weird and wonderful creatures the young 'Darwin Leaders' investigated, tracking changes since their appearance in 'Origin of Species' two centuries ago. With 'online classrooms' onboard and slick social media output, the mission also hoped to inspire a new generation around the message: 'Conservation isn't about what we've lost, it's about protecting what we still have.' 'Barely anything left' One of the Darwin Leaders, 23-year-old Lotta Baten, spent a week on the ship and conducted a study into the impact of tourism on forests in Tenerife, Spain. She said only roughly four percent of the forest that Darwin would have seen from the Beagle is still alive today, with much torn down to support the tourism industry. 'There's barely anything left, mainly the strips around the coast,' the Dutch-German scientist told AFP. She said it was 'quite something' to follow in the footsteps of Darwin, but noted that the botanist's legacy is divided, as a European in colonial times. 'He basically explored and discovered things that maybe had already been explored and discovered by people at the places themselves. And then he claimed he discovered them,' said Baten. Science co-ordinator Rolf Schreuder admitted that 'it's not a rosy picture', with habitat loss and climate change all transforming the environment beyond what Darwin would have recognised. 'You see the natural world degrading in many places,' the 55-year-old told AFP. But Schreuder, like many on board, found the mission inspiring rather than depressing. He ran more than 100 local projects during the trip with people seeking to preserve their landscapes. 'We met so many great people that are actually on the ground working on the survival of those species,' he said. He found himself inspired too by the young scientists, 'full of ideas, full of commitment and determination to really make a difference.' 'Do another tour' Crew member Daan van Roosmalen was a boy of 17 when he set sail on the Oosterschelde. He returned to his native Netherlands having just turned 19. 'I've just been to so many places. To the Galapagos Islands, French Polynesia. We went so far away and to then sail back up this river and see the skyline of Rotterdam again is just super special,' he told AFP. He said he hoped the round-the-world voyage completed by scientists and crew his age would send a message to his generation. 'I think it's very important that we keep inspiring young people to look after our world, because we are going to be the ones taking over,' he said. 'So to see all these young conservationists putting so much effort in Mother Earth... I think that should inspire more people to also take care of our planet.' And what of Darwin, the inspiration behind the mission? 'I would say he would have been enthused by his fellow young people taking care of this natural world, which he described so nicely,' said Schreuder. 'I think he would hop on this boat again and do another tour.' — AFP
