What is a deep-sea research voyage revealing about Australia's mysterious Abyss?

An international team of 40 scientists has embarked on a deep-sea research voyage that will uncover the mysterious life that inhabits the abyss off eastern Australia – an almost unexplored habitat 4,000 metres below the surface.

What species are found in the Abyss & the Great Australian Bight?

Several species have been recorded from both areas, the eastern Australian Abyss and the Great Australian Bight, such as Bathytoma agnata (Borsoniidae), Oocorys sulcata (Cassidae), Calliotropis carinata and C. canaliculata (Eucyclidae), Enixotrophon carduelis (Muricidae), Tritia ephamilla (Nassariidae), and Globiscala cf. boaespei (Epitoniidae).

Where did abyssal fauna come from?

The abyssal fauna collected on this expedition is very similar to abyssal fauna from the Antarctic and deep tropical waters, showing an obvious connection via the deep cold waters. The Tasman Sea and Australia, including the Coral Sea and Great Australian Bight, were surveyed by RV Dmitry Mendeleev during 1975–1976.

Why was sampling the abyss so important?

This dearth of sampling motivated the pioneering 2017 Research Vessel Investigator expedition , ‘ Sampling the Abyss ’ to the eastern Australian abyss. The cruise was the first to systematically collect biological samples from Tasmania to southern Queensland, from 1,000 to 4,000 metres in depth.