Feb 08, 2026
3 min read
The photo went viral around the world: a bus and a jellyfish, side by side to reveal a unique sight in the depths of the Argentine sea, ...
The image has gone around the world: a school bus and a shellfish, placed side by side, reveal an amazing discovery in the depths of the Argentine Sea - "giant ghost spears".
Maria Aemilia Bravo couldn't help but be surprised when a gelatinous invertebrate camera showed infinite arms almost 11 meters long and 256 meters high in the South Atlantic Ocean.
“As soon as we saw it, we were all surprised because it is a rare deep-water species, very rare in the world,” said Bravo, a 36-year-old biologist and expert in the ecology of benthic communities, in an interview with EL MUNDO.
Bravo has worked for 12 years at Argentina's National Council for Scientific and Technological Research (CONICET).Investigating benthic areas reveals organisms that live in underwater sediments, such as molluscs, crustaceans, algae, and parasites.Encountering "Stygiomedusa gigantea," aka the "giant ghost jellyfish," was not exactly the plan of "Life in the Extremes" director Bravo.
"I am the scientific guidation of this trip and the main survey of the program, lead by Bueos Aires and Schmidt Ores Isa Instate"
The voyage began in the port of Buenos Aires in the waters of the Rio de Janeiro and extended over 3,000 km to Tierra del Fuego, the gateway to Antarctica, using the experimental vessel R/V Falkor (Tou) to explore deep-sea ecosystems along the coast of Argentina.
"We say that it is a rare species because it is not very abundant or because it is found in remote environments like the deep sea. The more we study and find this species, the more we can increase scientific knowledge. Until now it is a very mysterious species. We know that its four mouthed hands can count up to ten, which makes it difficult to maneuver. Thanks to the admirge skills SarahThese ghosts, we were able to see a ghost ROV pilot and this Sgt.It is possible to notice in detail the fish that protects the jellyfish from this previous life.
Dr. Jyotika Virmani, Executive Director of the Schmidt Oceanographic Institute, explained the significance of this discovery:“Every time we explore the deep ocean, we discover that the ocean is just as teeming with life as the land, because it contains 98% of the life space on Earth.”
"We were privileged to work with leading scientists on three expeditions in Argentine waters, and we look forward to seeing how their research continues to develop, generating new knowledge and inspiration," he added.
The research also discovered the largest coral reef known to date, Bathela candida, in chemically rich cold seeping environments.But the star of the expedition was "Stygiomedusa gigantea", which appeared surrounded by fish swimming around a huge and slightly transparent pink figure.Thus there was the stream star Coniceta, which experienced a similar phenomenon already in 2025 with a direct transmission of the expedition into the deep sea.
After the giant ghost jellyfish was recorded in detail, the expedition continued.
We resumed the descent down the underwater canyon we were exploring and continued our main objective of exploring the seabed ecosystems. We discovered many different ecosystems, including the discovery of coral reefs, the most vulnerable ecosystem, and at the same time the expansion of their ecosystem is invaluable. Highlighting the successes of Argentina's science despite high budget constraints and small cost reductions, their distribution range reaches 600 km to the south.Bravo believes.
"We go to great lengths to make the money we have for our products work. We work hard, we work very hard, we sacrifice a lot, and thanks to the joint work of Argentinian scientists and our international colleagues, we have managed to make this campaign very successful. We also have funds from international aid agencies.
