Research · 'Loki the Sea Cucumber': 57 New Species from Argentina's Deep Sea

"Loki the Sea Cucumber": 57 New Species Found in Argentina's Mar del Plata Canyon

Scientists at a two-week Ocean Census Species Discovery Workshop in Buenos Aires (July 13-24, 2026) have identified 57 marine species and five genera new to science, from deep-sea specimens collected in Argentina's Mar del Plata submarine canyon. Results were announced on October 2, 2026.

The haul comprises 20 new copepod species, 22 new echinoderms (sea cucumbers and crinoids), 14 new cnidarians including octocorals, sea pens and stony corals, and one tusk-shell mollusc. The coral finds include two potential new genera and a potential new family awaiting genetic confirmation.

The star find is a translucent, horned sea cucumber nicknamed "Loki" (Peniagone sp.), recorded at 2,577 meters depth - one of up to 10 new sea cucumber species identified during the workshop.

The workshop was led by the Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census in partnership with the Schmidt Ocean Institute, Argentina's CONICET and the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales. It demonstrates how collaborative "fast-track taxonomy" can compress years of species description into two weeks; confirmed species will be added to the open-access Ocean Census NOVA database.

- Source: DIVE Magazine