Robot finds rare bigfin squid two miles below California in first live Northeast Pacific sighting

Photo credit: Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute Two miles below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California, in a world of near total darkness and crushing pressure, a remotely operated vehicle glided silently through the water. Its cameras were scanning the deep for the strange and the seldom-seen when something extraordinary appeared on its screen. Long trailing arms and a ghostly body drifted into view: a bigfin squid, a species rarely seen alive. For the research team on the ship above, it was a moment of pure wonder. It was the first confirmed live sighting of a bigfin squid in the North-east Pacific, the Los Angeles Times reported, and gave scientists a rare glimpse of one of the ocean’s most elusive inhabitants. Read on to know more:Plunge into the depthsThe expedition was conducted in deep waters off the Central California coast, a region well known for its abundance of marine life and dramatic undersea topography. The research vessel lowered a remotely operated vehicle, or ROV, a robotic submersible piloted from the ship through a long tether. The ROV carries high-definition cameras, lights, and sampling tools that allow it to explore much deeper t...