URI professors develop new way to identify deep-sea specimens

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WLNE) — Professors at the University of Rhode Island said they are making major strides in how scientists identify different species that live in the ocean.

They said the new technology for deep-sea research is the product of years of work and part of a massive collective of scientists working together.

Associate Professor of Ocean Engineering Brennan Phillips is part of the team behind the research and said its a huge step forward.

“The way it’s usually been done is you have to collect an animal like that in a jar, or something that looks like a jar, using an underwater robot or a manned submersible, and that’s really, really hard to do,” he said. “When an underwater robot dives into that part of the ocean, they’re rare opportunities and cost a lot of money so we want to make the absolute most out of that time that we get underwater.”

Phillips added the animals are tissue-thin, making them hard to collect normally, and the new work could save researchers years in identifying new species.