DEEPEND researchers found three specimens of a new species of anglerfish, Lasiognathus dinema, at depths between 3,200 and 4,900 feet in the northern Gulf of Mexico.   The website iflscience.com named the anglerfish as their #1 favorite species discovered in 2015.  The video can be viewed here:

DEEPEND research was prominently featured at the first international "Fish at Night Symposium" in Coconut Grove, Florida on Nov. 17-20th 2015.  Dr. Tracey Sutton, Director of the DEEPEND consortium, was the chair for the Deep and Polar Sea (“Perpetual Night”) Fish and Fisheries session.  Featured DEEPEND talks and presenter were:

Dr. Tracey Sutton - "Understanding Deep-Pelagic Ecosystem Dynamics: A New Research Initiative in the Gulf of Mexico (DEEPEND)"

April Cook, MS - "What Have We Learned About the Diversity of Oceanic Fauna of the Gulf of Mexico After Deepwater Horizon? Initial Results of the Offshore Nekton Sampling and Analysis Program

Alex Marks, MS Student - "Reproductive Ecology of Dragonfishes (Family: Stomiidae), The Dominant Vertically Migrating Mesopelagic Predators, in the Gulf of Mexico"

Lacey Malarky, MS Student - "Faunal Composition and Distribution of Pelagic Larval Flatfishes (Teleostei:Pleuronectiformes) in the Northern Gulf of Mexico: Connectivity Between Coastal and Oceanic Epipelagic Ecosystems"

Katie Bowen, MS Student - "Pelagic Habitat Use by Juvenile Reef Fishes in the Northern Gulf of Mexico"

The full program can be downloaded here

FORT LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla. – They are some of the most interesting and unique creatures in the oceans – deep-sea life. Most people can identify a shark or sea turtle or whale, but many are shocked to see what a lanternfish or oarfish looks like. Deep-sea creatures can be down-right scary looking.

Adding to the list of deep-sea creatures, a Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU) Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography researcher recently found a never-before seen species from the deep waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Tracey Sutton, Ph.D., is one of NSU’s experts on deep-sea life and he teamed up with Theodore Pietsch, Ph.D. from the University of Washington to formally describe this new species of anglerfish.

Alisha Stahl will join the DEEPEND crew aboard the MV Point Sur in August. Alisha will be live blogging from the ship - we wish her an exciting adventure! You can read more about Alisha and our Teacher at Sea program here.