From Living Fossil to Fossil: The Extinction of Chambered Nautiluses

We use underwater video cameras, called Baited Remote Underwater Video Systems, to study nautiluses and the deep sea. It is a great new method for many reasons! One, we are able to leave the nautiluses and other animals in their natural environment. Two, it is far less invasive than other methods. And three, we are able to record never before seen behaviors, like the one here, for the first time.

Until this video, no documented video of animals preying on nautiluses existed. This is from Australia in 2012 at 330 meters deep along the Great Barrier Reef. The great thing about video is that while it provides us with the significant data that we need about nautilus population abundance, it also provides us a glimpse of what deep sea organisms do. There is always something new being discovered and witnessed in our videos.