Fluorescent-eyed fish and ancient volcanic cones are among the amazing discoveries of a new expedition that mapped a section of the Indian Ocean.
Researchers recently completed a 35-day expedition around the Cocos Islands, an archipelago southwest of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The islands are now the center of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands Marine Park, a 180,330 square-mile (467,054 square kilometers) protected area that has never before been mapped in high resolution. According to the Museums Victoria Research Institute (opens in new tab), the mapping revealed underwater mountain peaks and weird marine life, such as a blind, gelatinous eel that was previously unknown to science. |
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