Scientists Detect 226 Species in WA Deep-Sea Canyons, Including Giant Squid at 4,510 Meters
Updated
Updated · SciTechDaily · May 11
Scientists Detect 226 Species in WA Deep-Sea Canyons, Including Giant Squid at 4,510 Meters
8 articles · Updated · SciTechDaily · May 11
More than 1,000 seawater samples from submarine canyons off Western Australia’s Ningaloo coast revealed 226 species across 11 animal groups, including giant squid DNA in six samples.
Environmental DNA let researchers identify animals from the surface to 4,510 meters without catching or seeing them directly, then cross-check findings against specimens collected by the ROV SuBastian.
The survey also logged dozens of species never before recorded in Western Australian waters, such as sleeper shark, faceless cusk eel and slender snaggletooth, with some genetic matches suggesting species not yet described.
For giant squid, the finding marks Western Australia’s first eDNA-based record and the eastern Indian Ocean’s northernmost record, after only two prior state records and no sightings or specimens for more than 25 years.
Researchers said the depth-stratified results show neighboring canyons host distinct communities, giving marine planners a stronger baseline as climate change, fishing and resource extraction pressure deep-sea ecosystems.
Can DNA evidence of new deep-sea life halt the accelerating global rush for seabed mining?
With its reef bleaching and deep canyons of life, what is the true future for Australia's Ningaloo coast?
As scientists race to catalog ocean life, are we also creating a roadmap for its exploitation?
Unveiling 226 Deep-Sea Species: eDNA Reveals Hidden Biodiversity Hotspots in Western Australia’s Canyons
Overview
A recent scientific expedition led by Curtin University and the Western Australian Museum uncovered extraordinary hidden biodiversity in the deep-sea canyons off Western Australia. Researchers detected 226 species across 11 major animal groups, including the first detection of giant squid DNA in the region in over 25 years, marking the northernmost record of this species in the eastern Indian Ocean. Many of the species found do not match existing records, suggesting there is immense, largely undiscovered deep-sea biodiversity. These discoveries highlight the Cape Range and Cloates canyons as important, previously unexplored biodiversity hotspots.