Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Read more
An elusive deep-sea squid has been filmed in a rare encounter off the coast of California, marking the first time the species has been spotted in the northeastern Pacific region.
Scientists aboard the research vessel David Packard were studying seamounts near the California coast and sent a remotely operated vehicle to survey the seafloor. That’s when they found the deep-sea bigfin squid, Magnapinna sp, about 3,277m below the surface.
The squid was hovering above the seafloor, with its characteristic pair of large fins, eight trailing arms, and two tentacles.
Researchers estimated the squid at about 1.25m long from the top of the body to the ends of the arms.
“I was sitting right next to the screens in the control room when I saw what looked like tentacles coming into the top corner of the video,” Olívia Soares Pereira, a researcher from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, said.
“I thought it might be a cool jelly, but as soon as the little ‘elbows’ appeared, I knew exactly who this was and immediately screamed ‘Magnapinna!’ before the rest of the squid even came into the screen.”
Deepsea bigfin squid spotted off the California coast (MBARI)
The expedition was meant to use diverse technologies to better understand ocean life on underwater mountains called seamounts, which can deflect currents and concentrate nutrients to support life on their rocky slopes.
Researchers particularly probed the Davidson Seamount, about 130km southwest of Monterey, California, which was already known to feature lush gardens of deep-sea corals that supported a bustling deep-sea octopus nursery.
They sought to determine if mysterious furrows on the muddy seafloor near the mount were created by beaked whales.
Scientists were surveying the seafloor near Davidson Seamount when they caught a fleeting glimpse of a bigfin squid (Olívia Soares Pereira/MBARI)
“I was focused on the seafloor and all of a sudden an elegant creature with undulating, angel-like ‘wings’ swam into my view,” ecologist Andrew DeVogelaere from the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, said. “I was stunned.”
“This is the first confirmed bigfin squid sighting in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and a powerful reminder of what we still have to discover in the ocean’s depths,” Dr DeVogelaere added.
“We live next door to a magical place.”
Dr Pereira said that the finding was particularly significant as only about 70 bigfin squid had ever been observed or collected before. “Each sighting is such a privilege and highlights the incredible diversity of life that thrives in the unknown deep underwater and needs our protection.”