Remotely operating submersibles discover a seldom-seen, ethereal, white-hued cephalopod in the vicinity of an active underwater volcano, astonishing marine scientists.
The Nautilus, a research vessel on a mission to explore the depths of the Pacific Ocean, made a fascinating discovery during a recent dive on the Davidson Seamount. Scientists aboard the E/V Nautilus spotted a dumbo octopus during a seafloor survey, a rare sight that brought excitement to the crew.
The dumbo octopus, a deep-sea dweller found in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, is known for its unique appearance and intriguing behaviour. Unlike other octopuses, it is able to crawl across the seafloor using its tentacles. These creatures propel themselves through the water by flapping ear-like fins and contracting a web of skin connected to their eight legs.
The Davidson Seamount, one of the largest in U.S. waters, measures 7,480 feet tall and is located 80 miles off the coast of Monterey, California. It was added to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in 2009. During the dive, the crew discovered fields of corals and sponges that resemble those found in a Dr. Seuss book.
The goal of Tuesday's dive was to survey a completely unexplored rocky outcropping to the southeast of the seamount. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) conducted the dive with the remotely operated vehicle, live-streaming the underwater exploration on Twitter to inspire others to care about conserving seamounts and other out-of-sight ocean habitats.
Chad King, the chief scientist aboard the E/V Nautilus, expressed his excitement at seeing a live dumbo octopus, stating it's something not encountered every day. Dumbo octopuses are considered charismatic fauna by researchers, and there are more than a dozen species of them, with sizes ranging from 8 to 12 inches to upwards of 6 feet in length. Some species have tentacles lined with sharp spines as a defense mechanism.
Dumbo octopuses are known for their ability to change skin colour at will, but unlike other octopuses, they do not produce ink. They spend much of their lives suspended just above the seafloor, where they lay eggs and hunt for crustaceans, bivalves, and worms. The Davidson Seamount, teeming with life, harbours a myriad of unidentified benthic species, making it a treasure trove for marine biologists.
The summit of the Davidson Seamount is 4,101 feet below the sea surface, a depth twice that of the one observed during this dive. As the Nautilus continues its exploration of the Pacific Ocean, it's clear that there's still much to learn about the deep sea and its inhabitants, such as the elusive dumbo octopus.
