All articles tagged with #underwater cave
Italy’s foreign minister says divers recovered the bodies of four Italian divers who were exploring an underwater cave near Alimathaa in the Maldives; the expedition involved five Italians, with the fate of the remaining diver not yet confirmed, and the search continues.
In the Maldives, a Maldivian military diver died while searching for four missing Italian divers near Alimathaa Island, Vaavu Atoll, as rescue efforts follow the death of five Italian divers exploring an underwater cave in the same area.
Researchers exploring the flooded Bender’s Cave in Comal County, Texas, using snorkels, uncovered a dense underwater fossil bed spanning 21 areas and including mastodons, giant ground sloths, ancient camels, and pampatheres dating to about 100,000 years ago during the last interglacial, suggesting a rich warmer-epoch ecosystem and offering new insights into Texas’ prehistoric life.
Divers exploring the flooded Cueva Macho in Hispaniola uncovered seven monkey skulls, five jawbones, and other remains of Antillothrix bernensis—the largest monkey fossil collection found on the Dominican island. 3D reconstructions show males and females were similar in size (up to about five pounds) and suggest a fruit-eating diet in small family groups; jaw injuries point to predation by a now-extinct giant owl, offering new insight into the species’ ecology and extinction and informing Caribbean mammal conservation.
Scientists exploring the Great Barrier Reef using a remote operated vehicle (ROV) have discovered three new species of carnivorous sponges, including one that resembles the parasitic "alien wanderer" from the book and movie "The Host." The sponges were found in an underwater cave and on rocks, and were identified based on their body shapes and physical structures. The use of ROVs in discovering several sponges shows the technology's "immense value to carefully observe and collect (sponges) from cryptic habitats," researchers said.