Scientists astounded after being visited by living fossil deep below the ocean: 'It's finally happened'

Mongabay reported that the crew of the research vessel E/V Nautilus, operated by the Ocean Exploration Trust, made an unexpected sighting deep in the German Channel in Palau: a nautilus.

"It's finally happened!" were the words excitedly proclaimed as the camera in the remotely operated vehicle zoomed in on the reclusive deep-sea mollusk. It's a significant event since researchers haven't seen one in the wild in 15 years, even after over 1,000 ROV dives worldwide.

This ancestor to the modern squid and octopus hasn't changed its structure since it initially appeared 38 million years ago; it started evolving nearly 500 million years ago. The crew saw three more later.

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Why did the ancient creature suddenly appear on this exploration? "Palau has been a hotbed for nautilus research for the past 50 years," Coral Reef Research Foundation Director Pat Colin said in the video.

The creature is on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species because it is fished for its shells in other regions. The population in this area of Palau is stable and protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. The organization works to prevent decline in native life forms and has 185 member countries, including the United States.

Organizations such as CITES are vital to endangered populations and other sea creatures whose habitats cross undefined borders. This organization protects over 40,000 animal and plant species.

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So, what can concerned individuals do to help at-risk species such as the nautilus? Start by not buying their shells — the main reason for their threatened status. According to Save the Nautilus, over half a million nautilus items were imported to the U.S. for decorations and jewelry from 2005 to 2008. Without preservation efforts, the creature — a living fossil — may be gone in 50 years.

Educate yourself and others about the thousands of species at risk, including the Javan rhino, Tapanuli orangutan, and African forest elephant as well as the reasons for their declines. Like the nautilus, these animals are hunted for their parts but also are at risk because of habitat loss from razed vegetation, human-made fires and pollution, and the increasingly warming planet — also a result of humans' production of pollution from landfills, vehicles, and more.