The existence of the Stygiomedusa gigantea, known as the giant ghost jellyfish (because of its shape and size, it can reach 10 meters in length), was discovered in 1910 but since then only about 130 observations of specimens of this species have been documented in the marine environment.
The most recent of these encounters, certified with exceptional images of three specimens of these large jellyfish, has been officially presented in an article published (February 2023) in the scientific journal Polar Research, edited by the Norwegian Polar Institute.
The giant ghost jellyfish that were observed and filmed on this occasion swam in waters near the Antarctic Peninsula, at depths of between 80 and 280 meters.
In addition to the unusual nature of the images, the authors of the article emphasize that these observations and the data that have been obtained on this unique species are the result of one of the expeditions or routes in Antarctic waters carried out by the Viking Cruises company, activity that is integrated into one of the citizen science projects coordinated by The Polar Collective initiative.
The images included in the scientific article were taken between January and March 2022 from a small submarine that operates from the Viking Octantis cruise ship, with the help of professional equipment and mobile phone cameras from the crew themselves.
Daniel Moore, lead author of the published scientific paper, notes that “it is extraordinary that we know so little about marine creatures as large as the giant ghost jellyfish.” To fill this shortfall, “we now have the means to make regular observations at greater depths than previously possible, providing an exciting opportunity for discovery,” Mooere said in a note released by Viking Cruises.
Antarctic waters below 60 meters have been little studied so far and the few known data indicate that they may contain very rich ecosystems and species that are little known or even new to the scientific community. Modern small submarines can reach depths of 300 meters and are of great help for scientific research.
One of the observations of this same species was made in November 2021 by experts from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), with the help of a remote-controlled robot, at a depth of 990 meters in the waters of Monterey Bay.
