Scientists have found new species of inhabitants of the depths of the Caribbean Sea

The deep waters of the Caribbean Sea remain one of the least explored places on Earth. In the summer of 2026, the country's first large-scale deep-sea expedition led by local scientists was completed off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago. Over the past month, researchers have explored previously virtually unknown areas of the seabed, discovered dozens of potentially new animal species and ecosystems that exist without sunlight. What discoveries scientists have managed to make and why the deep ocean still holds so many secrets can be found in the Izvestia article.

Why the depths of the Caribbean Sea remain a blind spot for science

Despite the development of marine technology, exploring the deep ocean is still extremely difficult. If coastal ecosystems are accessible to divers, then only special underwater vehicles and research vessels can operate at a depth of several kilometers. Such expeditions require complex equipment, high financial costs and the participation of specialists from various fields, so many areas of the ocean remain virtually unexplored.

The waters of Trinidad and Tobago remained such a territory for a long time. According to scientists, about 93% of the country's marine territory is located deeper than the limits available for recreational diving, and a significant part of these ecosystems has never been studied by biologists. At the same time, the geological structure of the region creates favorable conditions for the existence of a wide variety of deep-sea organisms.

To fill this gap, an international team of researchers led by scientists from Trinidad and Tobago embarked on a month-long expedition aboard the scientific research vessel Falkor (too). The results of the dive are published in the journal Popular Science.

During their work, the specialists mapped more than 11,000 square kilometers of the seabed, surveyed about 13% of the country's marine territory, collected over 700 biological samples and discovered at least 20 potentially new species for science. According to preliminary data, three of them may even represent new genera of animals. In addition, for the first time, scientists have registered at least 54 previously unknown species in the country's waters.

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How does life exist where there is no sunlight?

At a depth of thousands of meters, the conditions are radically different from those familiar to humans. Sunlight does not penetrate here, the water temperature is only a few degrees above zero, and the pressure is so high that it can crush most organisms living near the surface. Despite this, the deep sea is inhabited by many inhabitants who have adapted to an extreme environment.

One of the most important discoveries of the expedition was 25 cold seeps — sections of the seabed through which methane and hydrogen sulfide seep from sedimentary rocks. Unlike most known ecosystems, where life depends on the energy of the Sun, here the basis of the food chain consists of microorganisms that receive energy as a result of chemical reactions. This process is called chemosynthesis. It is he who allows entire animal communities to exist even in complete darkness.

The researchers found dense clusters of mussels, tube worms, corals, fish and numerous invertebrates around the cold barnacles. The largest barnacle found covered an area of about half an acre and was literally covered with shellfish and other organisms. According to scientists, such ecosystems are becoming a kind of "islands of life" among the relatively poor deep-sea bottom.

The expedition also allowed for a more detailed study of cold-water corals. Unlike tropical reefs, they do not need sunlight and are capable of forming complex three-dimensional structures at depths of more than a thousand meters. Such corals serve as a refuge and breeding ground for many marine life, but they are still much less studied than shallow-water coral reefs.

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What unusual marine life have the researchers found?

One of the most interesting finds was the octopus of the genus Graneledone, which scientists consider to be a potentially new species for science. It was first noticed back in 2014 during another expedition with the participation of Amon, but then the researchers were unable to confirm its belonging to an unknown species and obtain a sample. Only the current expedition has allowed us to collect material for further study. In total, scientists have previously counted at least 20 potentially new species, three of which may turn out to be representatives of new genera.

At a depth of 3,961 m, the researchers discovered a starfish from the Porcellanasteridae family, which may also be a previously unknown species. Another unusual find was a king crab of the genus Lithodes: it was spotted at a depth of 1083 m while searching for streams of bubbles associated with cold barnacles. Such crabs belong to large predators of deep-sea ecosystems.

The black swallowtail (Chiasmodon niger) attracted special attention of scientists. This fish lives at about a depth of 1259 m and is capable of swallowing prey that is larger than itself. To do this, she has a stretchable stomach and jaws that can expand significantly. In the specimen caught by the researchers, recently swallowed prey was visible through the translucent abdominal wall.

Another rare inhabitant that was captured was the chimera, or "ghost shark." It was observed near a cold barnacle at a depth of 2355 m. In addition, the scientists found lizard fish at a shallow depth of about 148 m, as well as many other bottom inhabitants, including sea spiders, ophiurans and deep-sea corals.

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What else could you see on the seabed

One of the most unusual finds was the body of a manta ray at a depth of 1025 m, which sank to the bottom after death. Such events are of great importance for the deep-sea ecosystem: in conditions of constant food shortage, the carcass of a large animal becomes a source of nutrients for many organisms.

The scientists also observed burbot eels Pachycara caribbaeum among clusters of chemosynthetic mussels. These animals lived near areas where deep-sea organisms receive energy not from sunlight, but through chemical processes. Such communities allow a complex food network to exist even where solar radiation practically does not penetrate.

Cold—water corals are another important part of deep-sea ecosystems. During the expedition, the researchers discovered a coral at a depth of 1055 m, around which there was a whole community of marine organisms, including small lobsters. Unlike well-known tropical reefs, deep-sea coral communities remain significantly less studied, although they may be widespread in the ocean.

In total, the scientists examined different areas of the seabed, from slopes where lizard fish were found at a depth of 148 m to areas deeper than 3.9 km where potentially new species of starfish were located. This range allowed us to see how much the communities of organisms differ even within the same marine territory.

Why are the results of the expedition important for science

The expedition was not just a search for unusual animals. The researchers have collected more than 700 samples, which will be sent to the University of the West Indies in St. Augustine. After cataloging, the collection of deep-sea organisms of the Zoological Museum of the University should increase by about 12 times. This will give scientists much more material for further study and identification of species.

At the same time, a significant part of the detected organisms still requires detailed analysis. It is necessary to compare potentially new species with already known animals, study their structure and confirm whether they have not been described before. Therefore, some of the results of the expedition can receive final confirmation only after further scientific work.

The researchers believe that each new discovery — whether it's an unknown species, unusual animal behavior, or an entire ecosystem — expands the understanding of the deep ocean. And although the expedition covered only a part of the maritime territory of Trinidad and Tobago, the results already obtained show how diverse the world remains at depth and how many unknown organisms may still lurk on the seabed.