HeraldSun (Australia) –
A DEEP sea submarine exploration offAustralia’s southern coast has discovered new species of animal (see photoabove).
The scientific voyage by U.S. and Australianresearchers explored a near vertical slice in the earth’s crust known as theTasman Fracture Zone, which drops from approximately 2 km to more than 4 kmdeep.
According to the Herald Sun, Mr. Ron Thresherfrom Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation(CSIRO) said that they “set out to search for life deeper than any previousvoyage in Australian waters”.
Their sampling documented the deepest knownAustralian fauna, including a bizarre carnivorous sea squirt, sea spiders andgiant sponges, and previously unknown marine communities dominated by gooseneckbarnacles and millions of round, purple-spotted sea anemones.
The four-week expedition deployed adeep-diving, remotely operated, submarine named Jason, which belongs to theWoods Hole Oceanographic Institution in the United States. This submarine is about the size of a smallcar and was capable of collecting samples, and photographing and filming areasas deep as 6 km. Jason made 14 dives lasting up to 48 hours each and reaching amaximum depth of more than 4 km.