UNSEEN - Search for a Coelacanth

2022 - 2025

Deep diver a meter behind the coelacanth discovered at a depth of ~144m in North Maluka, Indonesia (credit- Alexis Chappuis)

Led by Alexis Chappuis, UNSEEN - Search for a Coelacanth represents a remarkable example of modern-era ocean exploration, combining cutting-edge deep-diving capability with scientific discovery and conservation intent.

The project delivered a double world-first: the first confirmed sighting of the Indonesian coelacanth (Latimeria menadoensis) in the Maluku Archipelago, and the first-ever in-situ photographs of the species taken by divers, at a depth of 145 metres. Once believed to have gone extinct over 70 million years ago, the coelacanth remains one of the ocean’s most enigmatic and evolutionarily significant species.

As a flagship species, the coelacanth draws global attention to the fragile habitats it occupies and reinforces the importance of long-term protection through initiatives such as Marine Protected Areas.

Previously, the Foundation had contributed towards expeditions around the Banda Sea in Indonesia (2022-2025). The team collects both specimens and images of mesophotic fishes and corals. Some might represent species unknown in Indonesian waters, while others may reveal species found at previously undocumented depths.

​Little is known about deeper water coral systems, and there is a real and imminent threat to these ecosystems in the region.