trachymedusae
Explore Oceans Institute

Southwest Australia

The Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre embarked on a 14 day voyage aboard the Pangaea Ocean Explorer to explore, to sample, and map key seabed features off the southwest of Australia, at abyssal and hadal depths (2000 - 6200 metres deep).

 

Follow their voyage here.

Diamantina Fracture Zone
Leaflet

Diamantina Fracture Zone

Latitude: -37.1°SLongitude: 113.6°E

The Diamantina Fracture Zone is located southwest of Australia and formed as the Australian and Antarctic continents separated and is in excess of 3400 km in length.  The fracture zone has a maximum depth of 7019 m in the Dortrecht Deep some 1400 km west of the Southwest WA coast. 

 

Within the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) the most eastern part is due south of the Naturaliste Plateau and is ~6200 m deep making it the deepest point off the Australian mainland. South of the Fracture zone lies the Cape Leeuwin polymetallic nodule field.

⯈Watch Dive Footage
Cusk eels and snailfish

Descending to 6177m below the surface, two previously undiscovered species of snailfish (Liparidae) were found. At these depths, they are the deepest fish ever caught off Australia.
This snailfish is seen here with 3 cusk eels (Ophidiidae)

 




Trachymedusae

A number of other interesting species were recorded, including this trachymedusae jellyfish at 4000m.


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