Latest news with #RVFalkor
NZ Herald
03-08-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Patrick Star and ‘Drag Queen' crab: Underwater robot livestream captivates Argentines
'Oh, I love these little creatures,' one user said. 'I'm obsessed!' another commented. 'Don't take the little one away!' a third pleaded. The livestream began a week ago and exceeded one million views per day since Thursday (local time), 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 3000 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 RV Falkor (too) ship, scientists remotely operate the robot, which can descend to a depth of 4500m. 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,' expedition leader Daniel Lauretta said 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 livestream. 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 in real time seen this underwater oasis, 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', the website of the Schmidt Institute said, 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,' Lauretta said. 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 livestream's chat: 'Long live Conicet!'. 'Seeing people being passionate about their job is attractive,' 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, said. '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.' – Agence France-Presse
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Rare blood-red squid captured alive for the first time off Antarctica on camera
Source: National Geographic Researchers have discovered the first-ever live footage of a rare deep-sea squid species in Antarctic waters. The team spotted the blood-red creature 7,060 feet below the ocean's surface on December 25, 2024. Led by scientists and technical experts, this mission-critical moment sparks a significant milestone, announced National Geographic . Although scientists have known about the species for over a century, observing it alive is a rare opportunity. This discovery could shed new light on the species' behavior and ecology. The squid's unique features and deep-sea habitat make it a fascinating subject for further research. Blood-red squid spotted alive by the researchers The squid, nearly 0.9 meters long, was identified by a single large hook on the ends of its two tentacles. These hooks likely enable the creature to grasp and subdue prey during the swift ambush attacks. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Undo The rare species was spotted 'blood-red' under the ROV's lights- a remotely operated vehicle. The squid was seen drifting silently through the pitch-dark bathypelagic zone. Scientists were planning to take the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to the Powell Basin, which is an unexplored abyssal plain that plummets to around 9,800 feet deep. However, the launch got postponed because of the sea ice. The researchers then chose a new site at the outer edge of the Powell Basin for the next day, when they witnessed a squid alive for the first time. Researchers quote the discovery as 'mission-critical.' A postdoctoral researcher at Instituto de Diversidad y Ecologia Animal who was aboard the ship, Manuel Novillo, said, as quoted in the report, "It was our mission critical." She added, 'The ice blocks were moving so fast, it would put all the ships in danger, so we had to rearrange everything.' Novillo's team sent the footage to Kat Bolstad, the head of the Lab for Cephalopod Ecology and Systematics at Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand. She confirmed it was an Antarctic gonate squid . "This is, to the best of my knowledge, the first live footage of this animal worldwide.' The team of scientists and technical experts onboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute's ship RV Falkor (too) spotted the blood-red creature. An ecologist at the University of Exeter, Alex Hayward presented his view that the squid's hook adaptations point to its predator role in this deep-sea ecosystem. The footage, analysed and confirmed by Bolstad's team, marks a major step in understanding deep-sea life. The creature's sudden appearance offers a rare look into the lives of animals that live beyond human reach, in a world lit only by bioluminescence. Also read| 160 million-year-old blue-stain fungi in China found to be harmful to trees
NDTV
12-06-2025
- Science
- NDTV
Rare Blood-Red Squid Seen Alive For The First Time Off Antarctica
Researchers have filmed a rare species of deep-sea squid off Antarctica that has been seen alive for the first time, announced National Geographic. The Antarctic gonate squid (Gonatus antarcticus) was captured moving 7,060 feet below the surface in the ocean's midnight zone. The three-foot-long squid was captured on December 25, 2024. The team of scientists and technical experts onboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute's ship RV Falkor (too) spotted the blood-red creature. Manuel Novillo, a postdoctoral researcher at Instituto de Diversidad y Ecologia Animal who was aboard the ship, said, as quoted in the report, "It was our mission critical." They were planning to take the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to the Powell Basin, which is an unexplored abyssal plain that plummets to around 9,800 feet deep. However, they had to postpone the launch because of the sea ice. Novillo said, "The ice blocks were moving so fast, it would put all the ships in danger, so we had to rearrange everything." Hence, the researchers chose a new site at the outer edge of the Powell Basin for the next day when they witnessed a squid that had "never been seen alive". Behold the first ever recording of a deep-sea squid: The Gonatus antarcticus! For more on this story, visit: — USA TODAY Video (@usatodayvideo) June 10, 2025 Gonatus antarcticus, an elusive cephalopod found only in the frigid waters around Antarctica, the report said. Novillo's team sent the footage to Kat Bolstad, who is the head of the Lab for Cephalopod Ecology and Systematics at Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand. She confirmed it was an Antarctic gonate squid. "This is, to the best of my knowledge, the first live footage of this animal worldwide," she says.
