Overview

• ROV SuBastian’s 19-day dives in the Mar del Plata submarine canyon reached depths near 3,900 meters and drew up to 90,000 concurrent viewers with over 1.5 million total views
• Research teams documented species never before recorded in the canyon and captured stunning seafloor landscapes that will inform future biodiversity baselines
• Hundreds of collected specimens and hours of high-definition video are being analyzed and slated for open release in repositories such as CONICET Digital, OBIS and GenBank
• The unexpected popularity of the unedited YouTube streams has fueled public discussion about recent national budget cuts to CONICET and the broader impact on Argentine research capacity
• Follow-up missions, including Uruguay’s SUB200 project and further Argentine slope surveys, are scheduled as part of a continued push for deep-ocean exploration