WATCH: Underwater Tornado Captured on Video
What appeared to be an underwater tornado surprised and awed a team of Australian researchers conducting a virtual survey off the coast of Queensland.
?Check out this "benthic tornado" seen on yesterday's #VisioningCoralSea live stream!?️
— Schmidt Ocean (@SchmidtOcean) May 22, 2020
?Listen to the crew+researcher's reaction ?
All our livestreams are archived on YouTube: https://t.co/LcgKogNW7y
Thanks to @UnderseaTV for capturing this clip live pic.twitter.com/iEjwCR2iSF
The tornado formed while researchers from the Schmidt Ocean Institute, a nonprofit oceanographic foundation, commentated live footage streamed from their remotely operated vehicle (ROV).
“That’s amazing,” a researcher said. “I’ve never seen that before.”
Marine geologist Robin Beaman, principal investigator of the expedition, said on the livestream the formation reminded him of a “benthic storm,” which occurs when waves travel under the surface and create turbulence near the seafloor.
The tornado-shaped formation quickly dissipated, leaving a trail along the ocean floor. Although initially baffling scientists, the Schmidt Ocean Institute said after further analysis the phenomenon was likely caused by the motion of their ROV’s vertical thrusters.
The livestream originally focused on corals and a unique marine cnidarian called a sea pen. Part of an exploratory mission to study the Queensland Plateau, a largely unexplored and unmapped area of the Coral Sea Marine Park, the expedition aims to help park staff manage and adapt future policies to protect this deep, cold-water coral ecosystem.
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