Scientists have used advanced DNA analysis to discover a rare giant squid in deep waters off the coast of Western Australia, providing new insight into one of the least explored marine ecosystems.
The discovery was made during research into underwater canyons near Nyinggulu (Ningaloo), where scientists collected seawater samples to identify species through environmental DNA.
The study, published in the journal Environmental DNA, revealed traces of more than 200 marine species.
Researchers from Curtin University and the University of Western Australia examined the Cape Range and Cloates canyons, collecting samples at depths of up to 4,510 metres.
“These canyons are incredibly rich ecosystems and until now they have been largely unexplored due to the difficulty of working at such extreme depths,” says lead author Georgia Nester.
The findings include evidence of a giant squid, a species rarely seen in the region for more than 25 years.
“This is the first record of a giant squid detected off the coast of Western Australia using eDNA protocols and the northernmost record of [the species] A. dux in the eastern Indian Ocean,” says Dr Lisa Kirkendale of the Western Australian Museum.
Researchers have also identified whales, sharks and other deep-sea species, some potentially new to science.
“Deep-sea ecosystems are vast, remote and expensive to study, yet they face increasing pressures from climate change, fishing and resource extraction. You can’t protect what you don’t know exists,” says Zoe Richards.
