Although the data has yet to be analyzed in detail, this expedition revealed some surprising discoveries.

1. The iMAR expedition identified new areas that fit the definition of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems, and compiled valuable scientific information to inform the development of policies that promote the preservation of the natural heritage, ensuring the sustainable use of the deep sea, minimizing negative impacts on these vulnerable ecosystems.
2. The video work that aimed to characterize the benthic communities revealed the largest aggregation of black corals ever seen in the Azores and perhaps across the Atlantic. These corals grow very slowly and can live for several thousands of years and, therefore, black coral gardens can be considered the equivalent of the redwood forests (oldest trees on the planet) that still persist, for example, in the United States of America.
3. We discovered several areas with formations of deep-sea coral thickets that have an important role as carbon reservoirs and in mitigating climate change. Some of these corals, but also sponges, are habitat structuring species, functioning as refuge areas for several other species including commercially important deep-sea fish, and thus enhancing the total biodiversity associated with these habitats.
4. We found aggregations of orange roughy and cardinalfish, which in a way confirm that the trawl ban within the Azores EEZ, declared in 2005, has had positive effects for these species and the habitats they are associated with.
5. The multibeam bathymetric surveys revealed several locations in the northern part of the Azores EEZ that are much shallower than previously thought. One of these areas reaches depths susceptible to be fished (less than 600 meters), but since it has remained unknown it can be considered intact. These areas are fundamental for understanding what ecosystems looked like before they were impacted by fishing activities and may be considered as reference sites and priority areas for conservation.
6. These new discoveries will contribute with scientific information to the development of policies that promote the preservation of the natural heritage, ensuring the sustainable use of the deep sea, minimizing the negative impacts on these very vulnerable ecosystems. The expedition contributed significantly to the Instituto Hidrográfico (IH) program Mapping the Portuguese Sea, and to the international initiative United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).