An international expedition surveyed Indian Ocean seamounts around Christmas and Cocos islands, southwest of Jakarta, and revealed significant deep-sea biodiversity along with 149 newly identified species.

At the Shark Graveyard site, researchers found a trove of shark teeth alongside polymetallic manganese nodules, highlighting potential relevance for deep-sea mining and resource interest.

The survey employed beam trawl nets, a smaller conical net, deep-towed cameras, environmental data collection (temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen), and environmental DNA to catalog life.

Looking ahead, researchers plan to explore additional seamounts in the Coral Sea Marine Park and off New Zealand, stressing that deep-sea research is essential to understanding biodiversity and ecosystem function.

Newly identified species include a Oneirophanta sea cucumber, a Chlorophthalmus greeneye fish, and a Rhizolepas parasitic barnacle.

The team mapped 22 seamounts ranging from 94 to 5,431 meters deep, uncovering features such as a caldera nicknamed the Eye of Sauron at 3,103 meters near Christmas Island.

The study notes that Indian Ocean deep-sea ecosystems are less explored than those in the Pacific and Atlantic, and it calls for ongoing research amid threats like climate change, overfishing, and deep-sea mining.

The expedition recovered notable marine life, including 1,000 shark teeth from great white, mako, tiger sharks, and Megalodon at The Shark Graveyard, offering insights into more than 22 million years of evolutionary history.