Research vessel E/V Nautilus finds a rare creature dating back to Dinosaur Era, back in 2024
Research vessel E/V Nautilus has finally spotted its namesake. In 2024, the team discovered the species around 15 years after the beginning of the E/V Nautilus mission, according to Mongabay. The nautilus was spotted while the ROV Hercules, one of the mission's vehicles, was moving through the German Channel in the Pacific island state of Palau. After the first spotting, officials saw three more nautiluses during the same dive. The turn of events was broadcast on a live feed for E/V Nautilus' crew. This finding is crucial, as these beings are rarely seen in the wild, with one of their species, Palau nautilus (Nautilus belauensis), being labeled as near threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
Spotting of Nautilus
Four species recognized as Palau nautilus were spotted near the seafloor on November 27, 2024, according to Earth.com. This spotting came after around a thousand deployments monitored by the mission. These creatures were reportedly swimming at depths of 220 and 375 yards (200 and 340 meters). This species of nautilus fascinates many marine biologists, as it navigates its way through the water column with subtlety. Also, it is often referred to as "living fossils." The dive where they spotted it was the final expedition of the 2024 Nautilus season.
The dive's objective was to collect data regarding the water column surrounding the Palauan Islands. During the exploration, the vehicle visited a region of rugged seafloor terrain, which carried several wartime artifacts. It was from this region that the four elusive Palau nautilus individuals peeked out. "Being in the control van for our first sighting of this animal was pretty incredible," shared Jacob Ottaviani, video engineer and documentarian on this expedition, about the rare experience.
What Makes Nautilus Special?
The nautilus is the most ancient member of the cephalopod family, which includes creatures like octopuses and squid. To date, experts have identified eleven species of nautilus. Amongst them, Palau nautilus stands out because of its unique color patterns and shell shape. However, these creatures have been around for millions of years; not a lot is known about their population status, life cycle, and migratory habits. One thing that researchers do know is that there has not been a lot of change in its appearance over the years. "In addition to the obvious milestone of seeing a nautilus while onboard the eponymous Nautilus, it was also surreal to encounter an animal whose body plan and behaviors have barely changed since the age of the dinosaurs," said expedition leader and operations coordinator at OET, Samantha Wishnak.
The E/V Nautilus' ROVs had never spotted a nautilus before because they do not typically travel in depths where these creatures live. These creatures live at depths of 300-1,640 feet, while the ROVs explore at depths of 3,300-13,100 feet. That particular day, the ROV was present at 1,246 feet, which aligned the stars. E/V Nautilus' aim was never to spot these creatures, but to explore waterbodies. It was named after the rare nautilus by Dr. Robert Ballard, founder of the Ocean Exploration Trust (OET).
Future Steps
Researchers are hopeful that spotting these creatures will give them more insights into their daily habits. At present, these beings travel vertically to shallower waters early in the morning, and then return to darker regions in the evening. Such instances could verify this theory, and also reveal their reproduction and navigation patterns. Organizations such as OET and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ocean Exploration are already creating maps of the nautilus' habitat to detect where exactly they lurk. More datasets would imply further opportunities to understand how this dinosaur-era creature has managed to survive against multiple environmental changes.