Photo: ClaudioDivizia/Depositphotos

Less and less people are using cash these days, preferring quick contactless digital payment. If you still have a load of $1 dollar bills in your wallet, though, you might have done yourself a favor. In 2014 and 2016, the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) made a mistake that means there are 6.3 million $1 bills in circulation that might actually be worth a fortune.

Every piece of currency printed has a unique serial number. Even if there is an error and the bill doesn't go into circulation, its replacement will have a star at the end of its serial number. These unique numbers help track stolen money and stop counterfeit money from being circulated. In 2014, the BEP asked its Washington, D.C., facility to print a run of dollar bills with the serial numbers B00000001* – B00250000* and B03200001* – B09600000*. A clerical error led to the Fort Worth facility printing those same serial numbers in 2016. Apparently, no one caught the error until after they had entered circulation. In fact, the mix-up was only admitted to after a Freedom of Information Act request when a numismatic collector noticed something was off in BEP's public records.

Currency misprints happen, but usually those errors have to do with what are essentially paper jams or misalignment of the design. The double printing of the serial numbers has never happened on this scale and is attracting collectors. If you manage to have a single bill of the misprints, you might be able to fetch up to $400. Or you can hold on to your bill and start searching for its partner. Matched pairs have sold together for almost $10,000. There are unverified reports of another pair being sold for $25,000, and some collectors think pairs might get as much as $150,000.

To check if you have any from the double serial printings, look for the following:

• Series date that reads “Series 2013.” The series date can be found on the right side of the George Washington photograph.
• The “B” Federal Reserve Seal above the serial number.
• The serial number features a star and sits somewhere between “B00000001★ – B00250000★” or “B03200001★ – B09600000★“

There have been 115 matched pairs, which still leaves over three million left to account for. Besides scouring eBay and auction sites, one private citizen has started up a database to keep track of everything related to 2013B misprints. Better start uncrumpling your dollars now.

Over 3 million pairs of $1 bills were mistakenly printed with the exact same serial number, and now they are worth a fortune.

Photo: STILLFX/Depositphotos

h/t: [NBCLA]

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Whether it's Claude Monet‘s impressionist landscapes, Hilma Af Klint‘s mystical visual imagery or Jackson Pollock‘s drip paintings, chances are you love at least one artist who uses abstraction in their work. If you've been searching for inspiration to push your self as an artist, or even to try your hand at painting for the first time, consider My Modern Met Academy‘s Abstract Painting Bundle. There's no better time than now to experiment creatively and find a new outlet for personal expression.

Our bundle of three classes—Dream Your Own Abstract Acrylic Floral Paintings, Dappled Light: Learn Abstract Painting with Acrylics, and Acrylic Painting Masterclass: Explore Color & Abstract Landscape Painting—costs just $95. With three different artists teaching you how they make their own distinctive acrylic works, you'll be sure to learn new techniques and refresh foundational skills. Over five and a half hours, you'll be introduced to mixing acrylic paints, stretching your own canvases, and turning reference images from nature into singular visions that no one but you could imagine.

Included in our package is one of our newest classes, Acrylic Painting Masterclass: Explore Color and Abstract Landscape Painting, taught by Polish artist Luiza Niechoda. The painter creates geometric but moody landscapes that update timeless landscapes with a contemporary twist. And through her class, you too will get to create two complete landscape paintings while gaining a greater understanding of color theory.

Along with the Masterclass, you'll also get to produce art with expert professionals Nitika Ale and Megan Elizabeth. Ale's abstract florals will help beginners learn basic painting techniques. More advanced students will appreciate practicing loosening up their brushstrokes to create lush floral bouquets. Under Elizabeth's tutelage, students will refine their understanding of light and value in her Dappled Light course.

By purchasing the Abstract Painting Bundle for $95, you're saving 20% as opposed to the full price of buying the classes individually. Whether you have never gessoed a canvas before or are already a seasoned painter, this bundle will guide you to your next level of artistic achievement.

Get a sneak peek of each class below and then head over to My Modern Met Academy to enroll today.

Explore new painting techniques with our Abstract Painting Bundle.

Our bundle saves you 20% off the regular price of taking each class individually.

After finishing all of the courses, you'll have at least 4 new works to add to your portfolio.

Artist Nitika Ale will push you to play with color in Dream Your Own Abstract Acrylic Floral Paintings.

In Dappled Light: Learn Abstract Painting with Acrylics, Megan Elizabeth will help you face your fears and embrace new techniques.

Artist Luzia Niechoda will offer tips that even experienced artists will appreciate in Acrylic Painting Masterclass: Explore Color and Abstract Landscape Painting.

My Modern Met Academy: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest

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READ: Broaden Your Creative Skills and Save Big With Our Abstract Painting Bundle

Photo: MOMO11353@HOTMAIL.COM/Depositphotos
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Calling all Tolkien fans: for the first time ever, the Tolkien Estate has approved an operatic adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. Despite previous rebuffs, composer Paul Corfield Godfrey finally got the go ahead with an opera that is 60 years in the making. The hefty 17 hours' worth of music is being recorded by the Welsh Volante Opera Productions and is planned to be released in 2025. Fittingly, it will be the 70-year anniversary since the publication of the final book in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King.

British composer Paul Corfield Godfrey first started sketching out scenes inspired by Tolkien's works in the 1960s. In the early 1970s, Godfrey approached United Artists, who had just received the film rights, but they passed on the opportunity. When the posthumously published Tolkien book, The Silmarillion, came out, Godfrey was once again inspired musically.

The musician wrote to the publisher and got permission to move forward once Tolkien's estate heard a preview. Not only did they approve, but they also shared some of J.R.R. Tolkien's unpublished writings with the composer to help him flesh out themes. Priscilla Tolkien, the daughter of J.R.R. Tolkien, even joined the chorus for a performance of some scenes for the Tolkien Society. That led to the eventual recording and release of a 10-CD series of The Silmarillion in 2023, also with Volante Opera. While Godfrey had put LOTR aside, The Silmarillion inspired him to pick his previous plans back up, with the approval of the Tolkien family.

While the trilogy will be abridged, the words will stay true to the original publication. Don't think you'll be able to listen to the opera in one sitting though. There are over 30 “chapters” to the opera and it is intended to be performed over six evenings. Some scenes will have expanded musical accompaniment such as Aragorn's wedding.

Once you finish The Lord of the Rings, you won't have to wait long for an operatic recording of The Hobbit. The estate also approved Godfrey's adaptation of that, which is planned to be released in 2026.

The Lord of the Rings is being reimagined as an opera by composer Paul Corfield Godfrey with approval from the Tolkien estate.

It will be available to listen to in time for the 70th anniversary of the final book's publication.

Photo: ASTFREELANCER/Depositphotos

This will be the largest scale musical work based on Tolkien's writings, topping the composer's previous work The Silmarillion.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Volante Opera Productions (@volanteopera)

Volante Opera: Website | Instagram | YouTube
h/t: [Classic FM]

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READ: ’Lord of the Rings‘ Is Being Turned Into an Opera

These days, cities are teeming with people, lights, and sounds, making it easy to feel completely cut off from the natural world. Folks are eager to get back to nature, albeit with modern-day conveniences. At the same time, RVs require more fuel and produce more emissions than sustainability-minded campers prefer. That's where the Bowlus Rivet comes in. The Bowlus Rivet is a luxury camper that pairs an aeronautic-inspired design with green technology to create an RV that makes glamping easier than ever before.

In the 1930s, aerospace engineer Hawley Bowlus designed the Road Chief, which became the inspiration for the Airstream. Featuring a Streamline Moderne aesthetic, the aerodynamic trailers made camping more appealing to Depression-era Americans. Eighty years later, Road Chiefs have become collector's items and entrepreneur Geneva Long was inspired to resuscitate the Bowlus brand name. Today's iteration of the Bowlus brand is once again using forward-thinking design for a luxury RV that is both more sophisticated-looking and sustainable than its competition.

The average 25-foot RV weighs at least 6,000 pounds. Only a few models of trucks have enough towing capacity for them. However, the 25.3-foot Rivet weighs only 2,800 pounds, partly thanks to its aircraft-inspired aluminum monocoque design. Its light weight paired with its low center of gravity allow a much wider range of autos to tow the RV. Even electric vehicles (EVs) can tow the Rivet, reducing the chance that buyers will need another car when they purchase it. Conveniently, the Rivet is   capable of self-propulsion and has a battery that can provide over 8 kilowatt-hours.

Bowlus also features AeroSolar™ panels, which provide solar power to the battery, meaning one could live off-grid indefinitely in a Rivet. With this power, campers can charge their EV or just live off-grid while still having access to WiFi and temperature control. There's no need for campers to bring an extra generator in order to enjoy modern-day amenities. The self-propelling technology, referred to as AeroMove™ makes the Rivet simple to drive up steep slopes or turn around 360° so that even casual glampers can enjoy hard-to-reach campsites.

Inside the Rivet, its sleek design allows for a king-sized bed in the main bedroom, as well as seating areas that convert to two extra twin beds, leaving room for the entire family. The sleek onyx and wood design are Instagram-ready for those who want to come back to stylish comfort after a long day exploring the great outdoors.

The Bowlus Rivet is now available for pre-order starting at $148,500 through its website.

The Bowlus Rivet is a camping trailer for sustainably-minded people who also like a little luxury.

It combines a slick exterior with cutting-edge technology to provide a greener glamping experience.

Self-propelled with AeroMove™, the Rivet is easier to drive up steep slopes and parallel park.

Aerodynamic and eco-friendly, the Bowlus Rivet is priced at $148,500.

Bowlus: Website | Facebook| Instagram
h/t: [ Core 77]

All images via Bowlus. 

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The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration, who produced the first ever image of our Milky Way black hole released in 2022, has captured a new view of the massive object at the center of our Galaxy: how it looks in polarized light. This is the first time astronomers have been able to measure polarization, a signature of magnetic fields, this close to the edge of Sagittarius A*. This image shows the polarized view of the Milky Way black hole. The lines mark the orientation of polarization, which is related to the magnetic field around the shadow of the black hole. Image (Photo: EHT Collaboration, CC BY-NC-SA)

Black holes are points in space where gravity is so strong that nothing can escape, not even light. They are intriguing mysteries to astronomers and science-fiction fans alike. Thanks to the work of an international collaboration, we're one step closer to better understanding exactly how black holes work. And the more we know about them, the more we can unravel about the history of our own little galaxy, the Milky Way.

While black holes were predicted by Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity in 1915, our first images of black holes only came to be this century. In 2019, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration published an image that was made from direct observations of the Messier 87 galaxy's black hole, M 87*, made in 2017. In 2022, they released their first images of our local black hole Sagittarius A* (aka Sgr A*, which is read as Sagittarius A star). Those images were both produced by observing radio waves around the edge, or event horizon, of the black holes. However, each year brings technological advances to the EHT Collaboration. Last month, the first polarized image of our black hole was released in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, revealing a mesmerizing magnetic field that appears to spiral out.

Observing the polarized light waves of Sgr A* lets scientists chart the magnetic fields close to the black hole. This step forward unlocks new understanding of how black holes work. Astronomers happened upon a surprise because this polarized image is similar to an earlier polarized image of the M 87* black hole. Both black holes appear to have magnetic fields that are similarly organized and have comparable behaviors. This is telling, because M 87* and Sgr A* are very different black holes in term of size and surroundings. While Sgr A* is 4.3 million times as big as our Sun, M 87* is 6.5 billion times as big. This size difference is part of the reason why it was much harder to capture an image of Sgr A* despite it being only 27,000 light-years away from Earth, compared to M 87* which is 53.5 million light-years away. While particles on their edges move at similar speeds, it take exponentially longer for particles to finish whipping around M 87*. Also notable, M 87* is surrounded by more gas and dust.

Despite these differences, the similar magnetic fields suggest that all black holes are governed by the same physical processes. It also suggests that the Milky Way's black hole contains a jet, which is a powerful outflow of energy. A jet is the most energetic mechanism in the entire universe, and its clearing out of gas and dust helps give way to stars and galaxies. Indeed, learning that Sgr A* likely has a jet alters scientists' understanding of how the Milky Way came to be.

Of course, there is still much more to learn about our home galaxy and the universe itself. Each year, technological advances help the EHT Collaboration deepen their understanding of black holes. For the EHT Collaboration—an international consortium of astronomy programs and telescopes ranging from the Atacama desert to the South Pole—each telescope contributes to their “very long baseline interferometry.” This interferometry uses data taken from across the planet at different angles and times to create a fuller image and essentially act as an Earth-sized telescope. Each year, the Collaboration is adding telescopes and bandwidth, providing astronomers with more data. It will once again be observing Sgr A* this month.

In the decade to come, there are hopes  to have multicolored views of event horizons, as well as high-fidelity footage. There is even potential to add telescopes in outer space to add to the EHT data. It is fitting that we can only understand our place in the universe by coming together as a planet. After all, even national borders cannot escape a black hole.

New images of the magnetic fields of the Milky Way's black hole, Sagittarius A* were released by the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration.

Seen here in polarized light, this side-by-side image of the supermassive black holes M87* and Sagittarius A* indicates to scientists that these beasts have similar magnetic field structures. This is significant because it suggests that the physical processes that govern how a black hole feeds and launches a jet may be universal features amongst supermassive black holes. (Photo: EHT Collaboration, CC BY-NC-SA)

The image demonstrates that Sagittarius A*  acts similarly to a much bigger black hole, the M87*.

At left, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, Sagittarius A*, is seen in polarized light, the visible lines indicating the orientation of polarization, which is related to the magnetic field around the shadow of the black hole. At center, the polarized emission from the center of the Milky Way, as captured by SOFIA. At back right, the Planck Collaboration mapped polarized emission from dust across the Milky Way. (Photo: S. Issaoun/EHT Collaboration, CC BY-NC-SA)

Using polarized light, astronomers now have a better understanding of Sagittarius A* and our home galaxy, the Milky Way.

This is the first image of Sgr A*, the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy, with an added black background to fit wider screens. It’s the first direct visual evidence of the presence of this black hole. It was captured by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), an array which linked together eight existing radio observatories across the planet to form a single “Earth-sized” virtual telescope. The telescope is named after the event horizon, the boundary of the black hole beyond which no light can escape. Although we cannot see the event horizon itself, because it cannot emit light, glowing gas orbiting around the black hole reveals a telltale signature: a dark central region (called a shadow) surrounded by a bright ring-like structure. The new view captures light bent by the powerful gravity of the black hole, which is four million times more massive than our Sun. The image of the Sgr A* black hole is an average of the different images the EHT Collaboration has extracted from its 2017 observations.  In addition to other facilities, the EHT network of radio observatories that made this image possible includes the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment (APEX) in the Atacama Desert in Chile, co-owned and co-operated by ESO is a partner on behalf of its member states in Europe. (Photo: EHT collaboration/European Southern Observatory, CC BY-NC-SA)

The Event Horizon Telescope collaboration is a worldwide effort made up of telescopes across the entire Earth.

A global map showing the radio observatories that form the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) network used to image the Milky Way’s central black hole, Sagittarius A*. The telescopes highlighted in yellow were part of the EHT network during the observations of Sagittarius A* in 2017. These include the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), the Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment (APEX), IRAM 30-meter telescope, James Clark Maxwell Telescope (JCMT), Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT), Submillimeter Array (SMA), Submillimetere Telescope (SMT) and South Pole Telescope (SPT). Highlighted in blue are the three telescopes added to the EHT Collaboration after 2018: the Greenland Telescope, the NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA) in France, and the UArizona ARO 12-meter Telescope at Kitt Peak. (Photo: M. Kornmesser/European Southern Observatory, CC BY-NC-SA)

h/t: [PetaPixel]

All Images via Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration and European Southern Observatory.

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READ: Mesmerizing Image of Black Hole in the Milky Way Shows Spiraling Magnetic Field

Photo: Happyalex/Depositphotos

If you've ever been in a rush to make your connecting flight, only to be fouled up by a last-minute gate change, then you'll appreciate this tip from TikToker and former airline employee Darby Maloney. She says, “I never have to look at screens in the airport anymore. It’s the greatest hack ever and I think nobody knows about it.” Besides encouraging every traveler to sign up for TSA Precheck, Maloney shares an easy way for travelers, and anyone who is picking them up, to get up-to-the-minute info on flight statuses, gate changes, and baggage claim carousel.

So what are her tips? On the morning of your flight, Maloney says to be sure to text your flight number, including the airline code, to yourself and whoever is kind enough to navigate airport traffic for you. The airline code is key and usually includes at least one letter. For instance American Airlines is AA and Jetblue is B6. If you're not sure of your airline's code, you can check on the International Air Transport Association’s search engine.

On iPhones, this will give you a quick link that stays updated with any important info. All you have to do is tap on the code and choose “Preview Flight.” No need to download multiple airline apps or trying to find your flight on a crowded airport screen. Android phones will not send the same link but you can still copy and paste the flight number into Google and get the most recent info. This is especially useful when you have a short layover, booked with multiple airlines, or don't want to burden your friends and family with another app crowding their screen just to pick you up.

Over 2.3 million viewers liked Maloney's TikTok and hopefully this will ease a lot of traveler's airline stress. Without having to panic about being at the wrong gate, you'll have enough time to pick up an extra large water and Toblerone.

Former airline employee Darby Malolney shares her super helpful flight tips for travelers to be less stressed at the airport.

@durbinmalonster S/O @Brooke Webster ♬ original sound – Darby

h/t: [Yahoo!]

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Photo: Vkraskouski/ Depositphotos

When it comes to currency, what you see is usually what you get. So a $1 bill is worth $1, a $5 bill is worth $5, and so on. However, in the case of the rare $2 bill, the worth of the banknote rises with lower circulation. In fact, $2 bills from the 19th century have fetched exponentially more, as collectors will pay up to $4,500, according to auction houses such as U.S. Currency Auctions and Heritage Auctions. In 2013, Heritage Auctions sold a 1928 $2 bill for $88,000. Recently, the sale of a $2 bill for $4,000 through Heritage Auctions went viral. As a result, the $2 notes have gotten a boost in popularity.

Every iteration of American currency has featured a $2 denomination. The $2 Continental bill was first printed nine days before the country was officially founded. Then the first United States notes, or legal tender notes, were printed in 1862 to raise money for the Civil War. Two-dollar bills remained unpopular for most of their history, only getting a boost during World War II. In fear of Axis powers using Mexico as a place to sell American dollars stolen in Europe, Mexico and the United States banned U.S. money from crossing the border. However, since there was such a large population crossing the border and interchangeably using pesos and dollars, the nations did not ban $2 bills. Their lack of historical use meant it was unlikely for them to have been found in European loot, but were handy for those who were frequently exchanging dollars for pesos.

By 1966, the $2 bill had returned to its original place as the least used paper denomination and the treasury announced they had stopped printing. On account of this, people to this day think the $2 bill is either still not in print or even out of circulation completely. However, in order to celebrate the nation’s bicentennial in 1976, the treasury started printing $2 bills again.

The bill has featured Thomas Jefferson since 1928, having previously featured other figures such as Alexander Hamilton. On the back, Jefferson’s home Monticello was featured until printing was paused in 1966. Since 1976 they have featured John Trumbull’s famous painting aptly entitled Declaration of Independence.

No matter the imagery, $2 bills have always circulated in the United States. While we tend to overlook them, it’s noteworthy that they have played an important role in three of the most pivotal American war efforts. Keep your eye out for the bills and you may make yourself a tidy sum, or at least have bus fare home.

From 1928 to 1966, $2 bills featured Monticello on the back.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Now, since 1976, you can see John Trumbull's Declaration of Independence.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

h/t: [NBCLA]

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READ: Your $2 Bill Might Actually Be Worth Thousands of Dollars

Replica of Welcome Stranger Nugget (Photo: Rodney Start / Museums Victoria, CC BY 4.0 DEED)

John Deason was the son of a fisherman. Much like his future business partner Richard Oates, a fellow tin miner, he was not seen to be destined for future greatness. Yet in 1851, an Australian Gold Rush that started in New South Wales changed both of their fates. Hundreds of thousands of prospectors immigrated to the country hoping to be among the lucky ones to discover gold. Deason left for the Down Under in 1853, and a year later Oates joined him.

While the men found small gold nuggets here and there, they were struggling to get by and relied on their small farms to fund their prospecting operation. Reportedly, the men didn’t have enough credit to even get a sack of flour the week prior to their big break. After 15 years of toiling, Deason broke his pick on what was to become known as the “Welcome Stranger” nugget. At a whopping net weight of 192 pounds 11.5 ounces, the gold behemoth was encased in quartz and found tangled in the roots of a tree. The men decided to wait until nighttime to uncover the entirety of the nugget and then threw a party for their friends to reveal their history-making find.

With these very friends acting as a bodyguard, the men took their nugget to the nearby town of Dunolly. They attracted a crowd to the London Chartered Bank, requiring a constable to be called. However, the Welcome Stranger was too big to fit on the bank’s scale. Before a photograph could be taken, the nugget was broken apart to be weighed. It took five hours to get small enough pieces.

The nugget drew comparison to the previously largest found “Welcome Nugget,” from over a decade earlier in Ballarat, Victoria. The Welcome Stranger was larger by 6 pounds, and was purer gold. While Deason and Oates generously gave bits of the nugget to their friends, eager to have a piece of history, they earned over £9,400 ($11,863). That would be equivalent to a little over £1.3 million (roughly $1.64 million) today. However, a similar amount of gold would fetch around £3 million ($3.8 million) today.

The nugget was melted and sent to England by the end of February 1869, and Deason and Oates went back to work their land as if little had changed. The local paper Dunolly & Bet Bet Shire Express noted on a visit after their discovery how little changed the men were and started, “We are glad that the monster has fallen to the lot of such steady and industrious men.” Deason and his family stayed in the area, with descendants still residing in what is a quiet agricultural area today. While Oates returned to his homeland for some time, finding a wife and starting a family, he later returned to Australia.

It’s unclear whether the men’s lives changed drastically after their newfound wealth; however, the Welcome Stranger continues to hold the public’s historical imagination. In the 1980s, Australia released pure gold bullion coins, with the largest denomination depicting the Welcome Stranger. Despite no photographs existing, several replicas have been made. In 2019, the prospectors' descendants gathered to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the precious discovery.

Even today, tourists looking for adventure can head to Victoria to dig for gold. No one has yet managed to find a nugget of gold larger than the “Welcome Stranger” in Australia or anywhere else. The largest fully intact nugget still in existence is the “Pepita Canaa,” weighing 134 pounds. Julio de Deus Filho found the piece in Brazil in 1983. The Museu de Valores do Banco Central do Brasil has it on display. If you want to check out an Australian nugget of gold, the “Hand of Faith,” discovered in 1980 by a metal detector, is fittingly on display at the Gold Nugget Casino in Las Vegas. At only 60 pounds, though, it is just over a third of Oates and Deason’s mammoth.

One hundred fifty-five years ago, two humble miners, John Deason and Richard Oates, discovered the largest gold nugget ever that was the size of an adult man.

Miners and their wives posing with the finders of the nugget, Richard Oates, John Deason, and his wife. (Photo: William Parker via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)

Before a proper photograph could be taken, the “Welcome Stranger” nugget was melted down, leaving only drawings to base replicas upon.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

h/t: [IFL Science]

This article has been edited and updated.

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READ: Largest Gold Nugget Ever Found Weighed as Much as an Adult Man

A Chaunacops (a genus of bony fish in the sea toad family Chaunacidae) is seen at a depth of 1388.65 meters on Seamount SF2 inside the Nazca-Desventuradas Marine Park. (Photo: Schmidt Ocean Institute, CC BY-NC-SA)

In an era of widely accessible information and technological advances, it is easy to think scientists know everything there is to know about Earth. In reality though, the ocean is still a vast mystery. UNESCO estimates as little as 5% of it has been explored. This past January and February, scientists Dr. Javier Sellanes and Dr. Erin Easton led a team of international researchers, organized through the Schmidt Ocean Institute, to a remote region of the southeast Pacific. There they began to uncover strange new worlds thought to be unlike anywhere else. With the crucial help of an underwater robot, over a hundred new species have potentially been discovered.

The remotely operated vehicle ROV SuBastian, a robot that can dive to previously inaccessible depths of 14,000 feet, facilitated the crew of the Falkor (too) finding many diverse species in underwater mountain ranges, better known as ridges, off the coast of Chile. The Salas y Gómez, Nazca, and Juan Fernandez ridges are home to over 200 seamounts, or individual mountains, created by volcanic activity. Each seamount provides shelter to an underwater community that seems otherworldly, with long-living, slow-growing, and slow to reproduce species found nowhere else. These species are especially vulnerable to damage from human and oceanic forces.

Among specimens collected during the expedition, the team believes they have discovered new species of squat lobsters, which have arms longer than their bodies, and cactus-like sea urchins. They have also found vertebrates such as the Chaunacops fish, known as coffinfish. The coffinfish survives very  deep underwater only by remaining motionless on the seafloor for the majority of its life.

While the images of brilliantly colored and alien-like sea life are mesmerizing in themselves, the data collected by the expedition will serve a critical purpose in conservation efforts.

In 2016, Chile banned bottom trawling on seamounts in its jurisdiction, but most of the ocean is outside of any one nation's borders. Therefore international efforts are needed to protect these magical oceanic mountain ranges. The hope is this expedition will help create a Marine Protected Area under the UN's 2023 High Seas Treaty. This will further restrict bottom trawling, a fishing method which rips up coral reefs and indiscriminately catches species from the seafloor in its net.

Over the next several years, scientists will work to confirm that the specimens collected by the ROV SuBastian are indeed previously unknown species. Another expedition of the seamounts is already in progress, keeping the Falkor (too) crew busy. In the meantime, we can all appreciate how much beauty there is yet to be discovered under the sea.

The crew of the Falkor (too) spent just over a month off the coast of Chile and discovered hundreds of undersea animals.

Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) SuBastain is deployed from Research Vessel Falkor (too) at the beginning of a scientific dive. (Photo: Alex Ingle / Schmidt Ocean Institute, CC BY-NC-SA)

This expedition resulted in images of rarely seen sea creatures, such as the whiplash squid, as well as animals thought to be previously unknown.

A spiraling coral documented at 1419 meters deep on Seamount JF1, within the bounds of the Mar de Juan Fernández Multiple Uses Marine Protected Area off the coast of central Chile. (Photo: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute, CC BY-NC-SA)

A rarely-seen whiplash squid (Mastigopsis hjorti) documented at 1105 meters depth after inking at Seamount 17 (Ikhtiandr) in the Nazca Ridge. (Photo: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute, CC BY-NC-SA)

Oblong Dermechinus urchins documented at a depth of 516 meters on Seamount JF2. An international group of scientists aboard a recent Schmidt Ocean Institute expedition believe they have discovered more than 100 new species living on seamounts off the coast of Chile, including deep-sea corals, glass sponges, sea urchins, amphipods, and squat lobsters. (Photo: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute, CC BY-NC-SA)

A squat lobster documented in coral at a depth of 669 meters on Seamount JF2. An international group of scientists aboard a recent Schmidt Ocean Institute expedition believe they have discovered more than 100 new species living on seamounts off the coast of Chile, including deep-sea corals, glass sponges, sea urchins, amphipods, and squat lobsters. (Photo: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute, CC BY-NC-SA)

Confirming that the species are new will take several years.

Erin Easton (Chief Scientist, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley) and Elyssia Gonzalez (Student, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley) work together in the Research Vessel Falkor (too)'s Main Lab.  (Photo: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute, CC BY-NC-SA)

The expedition explored seamounts that had never been studied prior.

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h/t: [Popular Science]

All Images via Schmidt Ocean Institute.

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