Edu-leaders

Scientists have taken a herculean task to scale the depth of Indian Ocean. They are all set to begin a six-week mission to explore creature under the water of Ocean. The team will study animals thousands of metres below the surface. This expedition will also help scientists to better understand the threats to this environment.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said marine scientists will be spending six weeks on a marine trip to examine the seamounts of the south-west Indian Ocean Ridge.

It may be mentioned here that the seamounts are mountains that rise to at least 1,000 metres above the sea floor. They contain a rich array of wildlife because of their interactions with underwater currents and attract deep sea species such as sharks which feed on creatures found there.

In 2009, the scientists collected around 7,000 samples including the newly discovered squid, which has light-producing organs that it uses to attract its prey. Researchers aboard the RRS James Cook are taking along special cameras for photographing the ocean floor something they didn’t have last time.

Alex Rogers, of the University of Oxford, and chief scientist on board for the expedition, said the goal was to better understand a unique underwater environment and the threats it faces. He said: “We’re hoping that this expedition will help us better understand this unique marine life and assess the threats it faces.”