Real-time science collaboration is much easier thanks to today’s streaming video technology. During dives made by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) off the coast of Puerto Rico, a team of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-supported scientists consulted in real time with experts all over the globe. As deep sea creatures floated in and out of the camera’s view, information and observations were crowdsourced. From Quartz:
“There will be a starfish expert or a jellyfish expert or a coral expert and so they’re all working with us together, which is very unique,” said Andrea Quattrini, the science co-lead for the expedition. “On other research expeditions you only have a certain number of bunks on the ship and so only say 12 or 15 scientists can go at once”…
In a total of twelve dives, they saw 100 species of fish, 50 species of deepwater corals and hundreds of other invertebrates, many of which had never been seen in their natural habitat. They’re still analyzing the data they collected, but have already identified two new species: a jellyfish-like animal called a ctenophore and a new type of fish.
The footage above is a sample of what they observed.
Update: Via @madfishmonger, enjoy this same footage, beautifully remixed for more tranquil underwater observation:
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