WA Museum researchers detect giant squid and 226 species in Ningaloo canyons
Updated
Updated · WAtoday · May 6
WA Museum researchers detect giant squid and 226 species in Ningaloo canyons
13 articles · Updated · WAtoday · May 6
More than 1,000 samples from the Cape Range and Cloates canyons, 1,200km north of Perth and down to 4,500 metres, found giant squid DNA in six samples.
The survey also identified dozens of species never before recorded in Western Australian waters, including sleeper shark, faceless cusk eel and slender snaggletooth, with some sequences potentially belonging to species new to science.
Researchers said eDNA, combined with remotely operated vehicle specimens, offers a non-invasive way to map poorly explored deep-sea ecosystems facing pressure from climate change, fishing and resource extraction.
Hundreds of new deep-sea species have been discovered. How many will vanish before we even know their names?
Giant squids and faceless eels were found via DNA. Will we ever see these deep-sea phantoms?
As we find new life with DNA, are our climate 'solutions' creating deep-sea dead zones?
Groundbreaking 2026 eDNA Survey Uncovers Giant Squid and Rich Biodiversity in WA’s Deep Ningaloo Canyons
Overview
In early 2026, researchers from Curtin University and the University of Western Australia made a landmark discovery by detecting the giant squid in Western Australian waters using environmental DNA (eDNA) during the Schmidt Ocean Institute's Falkor expedition. This finding, the first in over 25 years and the northernmost in the eastern Indian Ocean, was part of a broader survey that identified 226 marine species in the Ningaloo Canyons. The expedition combined advanced eDNA technology with physical specimen collection, providing a vital baseline for marine conservation. Amid growing threats like deep-sea mining and climate change, these insights are crucial for guiding adaptive marine park planning and long-term ecosystem monitoring.