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Biologists identify 57 new species in Mar del Plata Canyon
The new species include twenty-two echinoderms and twenty copepods, found in a submarine canyon nearly twice as deep as the Grand Canyon; the sea cucumber got a Norse nickname.
On air: Hank Ledger and Brock Thunderson on BBN TonightPublished
Photo: Planmdq · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0Watch it as it aired: Hank Ledger and Brock Thunderson on this story, from BBN Tonight at 9:41 PM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are UA.NEWS's, the jokes are ours.
At a glance
- First reported by UA.NEWS: “Biologists identify 57 new species in the Mar del Plata Canyon — ScienceAlert”.
- Covered on BBN on Monday, October 19, 2026, at 9:41 PM ET on BBN Tonight, by Hank Ledger and Brock Thunderson.
The real story
The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.
What BBN said about it
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorBiologists have identified fifty-seven new species in the Mar del Plata Canyon off Argentina, twenty-two echinoderms, twenty copepods, fourteen cnidarians and one mollusc.
Brock Thunderson · Chief MeteorologistThey checked only ten percent of the copepod samples, and every single one was new. One sea cucumber is nicknamed Loki, for its horns.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorNinety percent of the jar is still a mystery, Brock. Skip is live in the field.
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Photo: EverJean · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
Photo: Vitor Oliveira from Torres Vedras, PORTUGAL · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: 松岡明芳 · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
Photo: Bill Ebbesen · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Will y theweatherguy473737 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Valdiney Pimenta · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
From the archive: everything BBN aired on Monday, October 19, 2026 · the Weird News archive · all months
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