Researchers from the Azores in the international expedition The Gap

Three researchers from the Okeanos Institute at the University of the Azores are participating in the international scientific expedition The Gap, aimed at gathering data for a new UN agreement on high seas biodiversity protection. The expedition is taking place aboard the research vessel Falkor (too) in the Romanche Fracture Zone of the Equatorial Atlantic. Led by Brazilian scientists, the mission includes researchers from Portugal, the UK, and Italy, focusing on one of the least explored regions of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at depths of up to 4,500 meters using the remotely operated vehicle ROV SuBastian. The team has discovered a sponge garden at 4,200 meters deep, indicating the existence of previously unknown ecosystems. They also recorded several organisms that may be new species, pending laboratory analysis. Additionally, around 50 students from a local secondary school participated in a live session with the researchers aboard the vessel, enhancing educational outreach.