Latest news with #AlexisChappuis
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
'Living Fossil' Fish Species Once Thought Extinct for 70 Million Years Photographed in Rare Sighting
A species of coelacanth, a fish that dates back to before the dinosaurs, has been photographed in Indonesia for the first time. The Indonesian coelacanth (Latimeria menadoensis), once considered extinct for 70 million years, was photographed in the Maluku Archipelago, Indonesia, and marks the first time the coelacanth species has been caught on camera in Indonesian waters. The rare fish was spotted by divers searching approximately 475 feet below the ocean's surface. Alexis Chappuis, a marine biologist with UNSEEN Expeditions, is credited with the sighting, per Swiss luxury watchmaking company Blancpain, which helped fund the expedition. Chappuis overcame the challenge of deep mixed-gas diving, which has led many divers to experience decompression sickness, sometimes referred to as "the bends," per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Related: 5-Foot-Long 'Cannibal Fish' with 'Sharp Fang-Like Teeth' Washes Up in Rare Sighting on Oregon Beach The expedition was a collaboration between international organizations and Udayana University in Bali. "The coelacanth, often mistakenly called a 'living fossil' or 'dinosaur fish' had been known from fossils dated back to more than 400 million years – way before dinosaurs – and was thought to be extinct until 1938, when a specimen was discovered in a fishing net off the coast of South Africa. This marked one of the biggest natural history discoveries of the 20th century," Blancpain's release read. Little was heard from coelacanths after the 1938 find until 2013, when Laurent Ballesta documented wild coelacanths in Sodwana Bay, off the east coast of South Africa. This reportedly marked the first time a coelacanth was photographed in its natural habitat. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The sighting was of the other extant coelacanth species, the West Indian Ocean Latimeria chalumnae. Before Ballesta's sighting, some scientists believed the fish died with the extinction of dinosaurs, BBC reports. "Blancpain is proud to support bold scientific projects that lead, inspire, and have a positive impact on global marine conservation," Blancpain CEO Marc A. Hayek said. "Following Laurent Ballesta's milestone in 2013, we are very proud of this discovery, which reaffirms our commitment to these efforts for more than two decades." Related: Creepy Fish Species Invades U.S. Waters, Now Residents are Being Told to Kill the Creature on Sight Blancpain created the Fifty Fathoms, a watch widely used by underwater divers, in 1953. Coelacanths are highly sensitive to their environment, so the exact location of Chappuis' discovery will remain confidential until further environmental protections are in place. "This discovery highlights the rich biodiversity of North Maluku and underscores the urgency of further exploration and conservation of the mesophotic zone," Dr. Gino Valentino Limmon, a researcher at Pattimura University and expedition partner, said in a statement. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
'Living Fossil' Fish Species Once Thought Extinct for 70 Million Years Photographed in Rare Sighting
A species of coelacanth, a fish that dates back to before the dinosaurs, has been photographed in Indonesia for the first time. The Indonesian coelacanth (Latimeria menadoensis), once considered extinct for 70 million years, was photographed in the Maluku Archipelago, Indonesia, and marks the first time the coelacanth species has been caught on camera in Indonesian waters. The rare fish was spotted by divers searching approximately 475 feet below the ocean's surface. Alexis Chappuis, a marine biologist with UNSEEN Expeditions, is credited with the sighting, per Swiss luxury watchmaking company Blancpain, which helped fund the expedition. Chappuis overcame the challenge of deep mixed-gas diving, which has led many divers to experience decompression sickness, sometimes referred to as "the bends," per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Related: 5-Foot-Long 'Cannibal Fish' with 'Sharp Fang-Like Teeth' Washes Up in Rare Sighting on Oregon Beach The expedition was a collaboration between international organizations and Udayana University in Bali. "The coelacanth, often mistakenly called a 'living fossil' or 'dinosaur fish' had been known from fossils dated back to more than 400 million years – way before dinosaurs – and was thought to be extinct until 1938, when a specimen was discovered in a fishing net off the coast of South Africa. This marked one of the biggest natural history discoveries of the 20th century," Blancpain's release read. Little was heard from coelacanths after the 1938 find until 2013, when Laurent Ballesta documented wild coelacanths in Sodwana Bay, off the east coast of South Africa. This reportedly marked the first time a coelacanth was photographed in its natural habitat. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The sighting was of the other extant coelacanth species, the West Indian Ocean Latimeria chalumnae. Before Ballesta's sighting, some scientists believed the fish died with the extinction of dinosaurs, BBC reports. "Blancpain is proud to support bold scientific projects that lead, inspire, and have a positive impact on global marine conservation," Blancpain CEO Marc A. Hayek said. "Following Laurent Ballesta's milestone in 2013, we are very proud of this discovery, which reaffirms our commitment to these efforts for more than two decades." Related: Creepy Fish Species Invades U.S. Waters, Now Residents are Being Told to Kill the Creature on Sight Blancpain created the Fifty Fathoms, a watch widely used by underwater divers, in 1953. Coelacanths are highly sensitive to their environment, so the exact location of Chappuis' discovery will remain confidential until further environmental protections are in place. "This discovery highlights the rich biodiversity of North Maluku and underscores the urgency of further exploration and conservation of the mesophotic zone," Dr. Gino Valentino Limmon, a researcher at Pattimura University and expedition partner, said in a statement. Read the original article on People
Miami Herald
29-04-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Scuba divers make ‘chance discovery' of rarely seen fish off Indonesia. See it
Plunging into the crystalline waters of eastern Indonesia, scuba divers followed a steep slope hundreds of feet down. They paused for a minute before beginning their long ascent — and then they saw it. Hovering near the rock was a rarely seen deep-sea fish: a coelacanth. A team of marine biologists visited North Maluku in fall 2024 to search for 'suspected coelacanth habitats,' according to a study published April 23 in the peer-reviewed journal Nature. 'Coelacanths are lobe-finned fish that have been around for over 400 million years,' Blancpain Ocean Commitment, who funded the project, said in an April 24 news release. They have a 'vestigial lung,' 'special fins that move like limbs' and 'might live up to 100 years.' Researchers focused their North Maluku surveys on habitats for the 'much less documented' coelacanth species, the Sulawesi Coelacanth, or Latimeria menadoensis, which had 'very few' wild sightings and then 'only from submersibles or Remotely Operated Vehicles,' the study said. During the scuba dives, researchers found what 'appeared to be the perfect' habitat for coelacanths. They returned to the site a few days later and made a 'chance discovery:' a live coelacanth. Photos show the elusive fish, which measured about 4 feet long and has a brown and white speckled body. 'Encountering such an emblematic and elusive animal at such a challenging depth is a moment forever engraved in our memory,' Unseen Expeditions, one of the groups involved in the project, wrote in an April 25 Instagram post. Divers returned for a third dive and again encountered 'the same' coelacanth, identified by its 'unique colour pattern,' the study said. Both times, divers found the fish about 460 feet down and observed it for five to eight minutes. The sightings were the 'first wild encounter in a region where no coelacanth has been previously reported,' the study said. Researchers kept the exact location of the sighting a secret 'to protect' the coelacanth. North Maluku is a province in eastern Indonesia, in between Sulawesi island and New Guinea island. 'We hope this discovery will encourage local and national authorities to increase conservation efforts in this vibrant and biodiverse region,' researchers said. 'This monumental find not only enriches our understanding of marine biodiversity but also evokes a profound sense of wonder and excitement among scientists and conservationists worldwide,' Blancpain Ocean Commitment said. It is 'a breathtaking reminder that the ocean remains largely unknown and that exploration is as relevant as ever.' The research team included Alexis Chappuis, I Gede Hendrawan, M. Janib Achmad, Gaël Clément, Mark Erdmann, Frensly Hukom, Julien Leblond and Gino Limmon.
