Forget Baby Shark– this summer’s marine favorite is the baby octopus. Scientists working off the coast of Costa Rica say so confirmed the location from the world’s third known octopus farm and possibly a new species of the eight-legged cephalopods. If confirmed, the new species would belong to Mouse octopusa genus of small to medium-sized octopuses that lack ink sacs.
[Related: Female octopuses will chuck seashells at males who irk them.]
This deep-sea octopus farm is located in a low-temperature hydrothermal vent in the Dorado Outcrop off the coast of Costa Rica. The nursery was initially discovered in 2013 and was the first sighting of a female octopus congregating to incubate or hatch their eggs. Seeing no developing embryos when the site was first explored, scientists thought the Dorado outcrop may not support octopus growth.
According to the Schmidt Ocean Institutethe team looked at the Mouse octopus species hatch as they work, refuting the idea that this part of the deep sea is inhospitable to developing young octopuses. The Schmidt Ocean Institute is a non-profit research organization founded in 2009 by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and his wife Wendy.
The team of 18 scientists from around the world also explored five never-before-seen seamounts in the northwest corner of Costa Rica’s waters. These undersea giants teem with thriving biodiversity, some of which are believed to be new species.
This seamounts are currently not protected from human activities such as fishing, and many local scientists are working to determine whether this area should become a designated marine protected area.
“This expedition to the deep waters of Costa Rica’s Pacific Ocean was a great opportunity for us to get to know our own country,” says marine biologist Jorge Cortes of the University of Costa Rica. said in a statement. “The expedition had a significant number of local scientists and students, which will accelerate our ability to study deep regions. The information, examples and images are important for Costa Rica to show its wealth and will be used for scientific studies and to raise awareness of what we have and why we need to protect it.”
The team used an underwater robot called a remote controlled vehicle (ROV) to observe the vents and new octopuses. These types of submersibles are valuable for conducting deep-sea expeditions like that one discovered the wreck of the RMS Titanic in 1985.
[Related: Scientists Freak Out Over Newly Discovered Hydrothermal Vents.]
“The discovery of a new active octopus farm at over 2,800 meters altitude [9186 feet] beneath the sea surface in Costa Rican waters proves that there is still so much to learn about our ocean,” Schmidt Ocean Institute Executive Director Jyotika Virmani said in a statement. “The deep sea off the coast of Costa Rica borders on the human imagination, with spectacular images collected by ROV Subastian of tripod fish, hatched octopuses and coral gardens. We look forward to continuing to help the world witness and study the wonders of our incredible ocean.”