By Mark Kaufman on August 23, 2023

The octopuses are drawn to this deep sea location.

An octopus garden in the deep sea. Credit: MBARI

In the lightless deep sea, an octopus settlement thrives atop a tranquil volcano.

Scientists at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute sent a deep ocean robot to an “octopus garden” located some 10,500 feet (3,200 meters) below the ocean’s surface, in a dark marine region dubbed the “midnight zone.” Here, the only natural light comes from glowing critters.

The deep sea scientists captured high-resolution imagery, shown below, on the recent journey to the Davidson Seamount, located far off the California coast. (More footage will be added as it becomes available.) They spotted a whopping 5,718 octopuses over a six-acre area, including 4,707 females nesting over their eggs.

Footage of an expansive octopus colony on the Davidson Seamount. Credit: MBARI

The octopus species, M. robustus, might be drawn to the warmth at this specific location, the researchers speculate. Warm water still vents from the extinct volcano, perhaps speeding up the development of the growing embryos, a process that can take years in the profound cold of the deeps. The brooding females were “scattered across hydrothermal springs that emanated warmth, barely visible by the hazy, shimmering boundary between cold ambient seawater and warm venting fluid – like a mirage,” the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute wrote in a release. “Dead octopuses and lone embryos were quickly scavenged by other deep-sea species before being replaced by new arrivals.” […]

A remotely operated vehicle (ROV) surrounded by hundreds of octopi. Credit: MBARI

Continue reading: 10,000 feet down, scientists find ‘enormous’ octopus colony