Scientists spot underwater tornado-shaped formation
QUEENSLAND, Australia (CBS and KION) A group of scientists in Australia saw an unusual tornado-shaped formation during a remote expedition Friday.
It was spotted during an expedition on Moore Reef off the coast of Queensland.
A clip filmed by the underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) caught the formation moving through the Coral Sea Marine Park and leaving a trail on the seafloor.
"We're not quite sure of what we're seeing. After further analysis, we have determined that this most likely was caused by vertical thrusters on the ROV, which caused a vortex moving the current direction," director of marine communications at the Schmidt Ocean Institute, Dr Carlie S. Wiener told Reuters.
The Schmidt Ocean Institute organized the expedition, and it was the first time the entire science team was working remotely.
"The participating scientists were working remotely from home, viewing high-definition footage from the robot that is streaming in the real time, in their search for new species and continuing to map the deep sea," Wiener said.
