Latest news with #ROVSuBastian
USA Today
18-04-2025
- Science
- USA Today
See it: Young colossal squid captured on video in its natural habitat for the first time
See it: Young colossal squid captured on video in its natural habitat for the first time Show Caption Hide Caption Colossal squid seen in natural habitat for first time since discovery A baby colossal squid was seen by researchers in its natural habitat for the first time since the species was discovered. Almost a century after the colossal squid was first discovered, a juvenile was spotted and filmed in its natural habitat last month. Crew members on board a research vessel in the South Atlantic Ocean recorded the video of the world's largest squid species on March 9, Schmidt Ocean Institute, a nonprofit organization, which operated the ship said. The 35-day mission was an Ocean Census flagship expedition searching for new marine life. Video footage shared by the Institute shows the nearly one-foot-long juvenile squid floating at a depth of approximately 1968 feet below the waters around the South Sandwich Islands, a volcanic archipelago located between the tip of South America and Antarctica. The footage was captured by the Institute's remotely operated vehicle (ROV) SuBastian, the organization said. Watch the video above to see the footage. A surprising lesson from Antarctica: Life flourishes even under 500 feet of ice Heaviest invertebrate on the planet "This year is the 100-year anniversary of the identification and formal naming of the colossal squid, a member of the glass squid family (cranchiidae)," the Institute said in a news release, highlighting the significance of the sighting. As the name suggests, fully grown colossal squid can be gigantic, growing up to 23 feet in length and weighing as much as 1100 pounds, making them the heaviest invertebrate (animals that don't have a backbone or vertebral column) on the planet, according to Schmidt Ocean Institute. However, given their elusiveness, not much is known about the mysterious sea creature's life cycle, except that they eventually lose their transparency as they age. The Institute said while dying adults have previously been filmed by fishermen, the colossal squid have never been seen alive at depth. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle Exciting discovery "It's exciting to see the first in situ footage of a juvenile colossal and humbling to think that they have no idea that humans exist," Kat Bolstad, a professor and researcher at the Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand, an independent scientific expert the research team consulted to verify the footage, said in a statement. "For 100 years, we have mainly encountered them as prey remains in whale and seabird stomachs and as predators of harvested toothfish." The Schmidt Ocean Institute's ROV SuBastian has so far captured the first sightings of four species of squid, including the latest colossal squid sighting, the organization said. In January, the expedition recorded the first confirmed footage of the glacial glass squid, which was spotted in the Bellingshausen Sea near Antarctica. The footage, taken at 2254 feet, showed the transparent glacial glass squid with its arms loosely above its head, similar to the cockatoo pose commonly observed in other glass squids. 'These unforgettable moments continue to remind us that the Ocean is brimming with mysteries yet to be solved,' the institute's executive director Jyotika Virmani said in a statement. Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@ and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Colossal squid caught on video for first time, seen swimming nearly 2,000 feet below ocean's surface
The colossal squid, the heaviest invertebrate in the world, was captured on video swimming in the deep sea for the first time since it was identified a century ago. The footage was filmed on March 9 by an international team of scientists and crew on an expedition near the South Sandwich Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, Schmidt Ocean Institute said in a news release. The squid, scientifically named Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, was a juvenile at nearly one foot long, according to the release. It was at a depth of 1,968 feet when scientists and crew on board the institute's research vessel Falkor captured footage of it with a remotely operated vehicle called SuBastian. "It's exciting to see the first in situ footage of a juvenile colossal and humbling to think that they have no idea that humans exist," said Kat Bolstad of the Auckland University of Technology. Bolstad was one of the scientific experts who assisted with verifying the video. "For 100 years, we have mainly encountered them as prey remains in whale and seabird stomachs and as predators of harvested toothfish," she said. The squid was formally identified and named in 1925, but until now, no one has been able to capture it alive on camera. It's estimated that the squid can grow up to 23 feet in length and weigh as much as 1,100 pounds, the institute said. Little is known about the squid's life cycle, but it loses its transparent body as it becomes an adult. The colossal squid is not to be confused with a giant squid, according to the Natural History Museum of London. Both are massive cephalopods, but belong to different families of squid. The giant squid has much longer tentacles with a more narrow body, whereas the colossal squid has a much larger body with shorter tentacles. Bolstad and Aaron Evans, an independent expert on the glass squid family who also helped verify the video, both said that the colossal squid has distinguishing characteristics, including hooks on the middle of their eight arms. To date, the institute's ROV SuBastian has captured the first confirmed footage of at least four squid species in the wild, including the Promachoteuthis last year and the ram's horn squid in 2020. This article was originally published on
NBC News
16-04-2025
- Science
- NBC News
Colossal squid caught on video for first time, seen swimming nearly 2,000 feet below ocean's surface
The colossal squid, the heaviest invertebrate in the world, was captured on video swimming in the deep sea for the first time since it was identified a century ago. The footage was filmed on March 9 by an international team of scientists and crew on an expedition near the South Sandwich Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, Schmidt Ocean Institute said in a news release. The squid, scientifically named Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, was a juvenile at nearly one foot long, according to the release. It was at a depth of 1,968 feet when scientists and crew on board the institute's research vessel Falkor captured footage of it with a remotely operated vehicle called SuBastian. "It's exciting to see the first in situ footage of a juvenile colossal and humbling to think that they have no idea that humans exist," said Kat Bolstad of the Auckland University of Technology. Bolstad was one of the scientific experts who assisted with verifying the video. "For 100 years, we have mainly encountered them as prey remains in whale and seabird stomachs and as predators of harvested toothfish," she said. The squid was formally identified and named in 1925, but until now, no one has been able to capture it alive on camera. It's estimated that the squid can grow up to 23 feet in length and weigh as much as 1,100 pounds, the institute said. Little is known about the squid's life cycle, but it loses its transparent body as it becomes an adult. The colossal squid is not to be confused with a giant squid, according to the Natural History Museum of London. Both are massive cephalopods, but belong to different families of squid. The giant squid has much longer tentacles with a more narrow body, whereas the colossal squid has a much larger body with shorter tentacles. Bolstad and Aaron Evans, an independent expert on the glass squid family who also helped verify the video, both said that the colossal squid has distinguishing characteristics, including hooks on the middle of their eight arms. To date, the institute's ROV SuBastian has captured the first confirmed footage of at least four squid species in the wild, including the Promachoteuthis last year and the ram's horn squid in 2020.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Colossal squid filmed alive for first time since its discovery a century ago
A colossal squid has been filmed alive in the wild for the first time, 100 years after the species was discovered. The rare footage was captured on March 9 by Schmidt Ocean Institute's remotely operated vehicle SuBastian, at a depth of 600 metres off the South Sandwich Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. The juvenile squid, around 30 centimetres long, is the first confirmed sighting of a living Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni in its natural habitat. Colossal squid are thought to grow up to seven metres and weigh as much as 500kg, making them the world's heaviest invertebrate. Until now they have been seen only dead – washed up or in the stomachs of predators such as whales. 'It's exciting to see the first in situ footage of a juvenile colossal and humbling to think that they have no idea that humans exist,' said Dr Kat Bolstad, who helped verify the footage. The discovery came during a 35-day ocean census expedition – part of a global project to find and record new marine life. The mission involved Schmidt Ocean Institute, the Nippon Foundation–Nekton Ocean Census, and research teams from the UK and Germany. Experts confirmed the juvenile squid by its transparent body and arm hooks, which help distinguish it from similar species such as the glacial glass squid (Galiteuthis glacialis). The glacial glass squid was also filmed alive for the first time on a previous Schmidt Ocean Institute expedition in January, in the Bellingshausen Sea off Antarctica. 'The first sighting of two different squids on back-to-back expeditions is remarkable,' said the Institute's executive director, Dr Jyotika Virmani. 'It shows how little we've seen of life in the Southern Ocean.' To date, the Institute's ROV SuBastian has recorded the first confirmed footage of at least four deep-sea squid species, with another still awaiting identification. 'These unforgettable moments remind us how much of the ocean remains unexplored,' Dr Virmani added.
The Independent
16-04-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Colossal squid filmed alive for first time since its discovery a century ago
A colossal squid has been filmed alive in the wild for the first time, 100 years after the species was discovered. The rare footage was captured on March 9 by Schmidt Ocean Institute's remotely operated vehicle SuBastian, at a depth of 600 metres off the South Sandwich Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. The juvenile squid, around 30 centimetres long, is the first confirmed sighting of a living Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni in its natural habitat. Colossal squid are thought to grow up to seven metres and weigh as much as 500kg, making them the world's heaviest invertebrate. Until now they have been seen only dead – washed up or in the stomachs of predators such as whales. 'It's exciting to see the first in situ footage of a juvenile colossal and humbling to think that they have no idea that humans exist,' said Dr Kat Bolstad, who helped verify the footage. The discovery came during a 35-day ocean census expedition – part of a global project to find and record new marine life. The mission involved Schmidt Ocean Institute, the Nippon Foundation–Nekton Ocean Census, and research teams from the UK and Germany. Experts confirmed the juvenile squid by its transparent body and arm hooks, which help distinguish it from similar species such as the glacial glass squid (Galiteuthis glacialis). The glacial glass squid was also filmed alive for the first time on a previous Schmidt Ocean Institute expedition in January, in the Bellingshausen Sea off Antarctica. 'The first sighting of two different squids on back-to-back expeditions is remarkable,' said the Institute's executive director, Dr Jyotika Virmani. 'It shows how little we've seen of life in the Southern Ocean.' To date, the Institute's ROV SuBastian has recorded the first confirmed footage of at least four deep-sea squid species, with another still awaiting identification. 'These unforgettable moments remind us how much of the ocean remains unexplored,' Dr Virmani added.
