The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ’s ( NOAA)Okeanos Explorership is back meet the inhabitants of the Gulf of Mexico . It ’s less than a third the way through its23 - day mission , and the research squad has already become well - acquainted with the locals , some of which have never been documented before .
From April 11 to May 3 , 2018 , theOkeanos Exploreris collecting valuable information about the ill read nautical lifetime and geography of the deepwater environment in the Gulf of Mexico using remotely - operated vehicles at depths of over 1,500 meters ( ~4,920 feet ) . From refined sea stars to octopuses fighting in crab - cover shipwrecks , it ’s sincerely like another Earth down there .
One of the strange creature they have follow across so far is an unidentified vermilion - bolshy distinctly devilish - appear calamari , one of several different squid species so far on this honkytonk .
They also issue forth across an especially beautifulMuusoctopus johnsonianusoctopus , with a sensational iridescent pinkish - purpleness food colour , burying into the sediment as the ROV exit overhead .
Another particularly cool eccentric was a skate that was , well , skate across the sea bottom at 1,500 meters ( ~4,920 feet ) on Sunday , April 15 .
It was n’t just alien - like sea brute that the team stumbled upon , they also came across several wreck . The Gulf of Mexico has been a hub of maritime and naval activeness over the 100 , serving as the last resting seat for unnumberable WW2 ships and trade vessels that receive an inauspicious end . These shipwrecks have since rust away and become home to all manner of crustaceans . Many of the shipwrecks stay nameless and unidentified , although they did supervise to nail one wreck : the tugboatNew Hope , which was sink during Tropical Storm Debbie in September 1965 .
On April 15 , they even respect twoMuusoctopusoctopuses have a wrestle within a wreckage .
TheOkeanos Explorercarried outthe first legof this enquiry back in December 2017 , which brought about the momentous breakthrough of the so - call “ headless chicken monster ” .
These missions are helping scientists understand the unique devil dog environment of the Gulf of Mexico . This 1,550,000 - straight - km ( 600,000 square miles ) basin is home to many vulnerable marine species , as well as enchanting geological feature article like clay volcanoes . It ’s also an environment that ’s experience massive changesdue to industrial activity , pollution , and climate variety . So , the more we check about this area now , the honest .
Best of all , all of the honkytonk are live streamed and then logged for your take in pleasure . you could check out the live stream of the missionary work below , which will be uncommitted daily until May 3 from approximately 8 am to 5 pm CT .
