30 new animal species discovered at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean
530 new animal species discovered at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean
More than 30 new species have been discovered in new research on the floor of the Pacific Ocean. The rich ecosystem in the Clarion-Clipperton Region, which is a geological fracture area, was revealed in detail for the first time in the research.
More than 30 new species of animals have been found living on the floor of the Pacific Ocean.
Researchers from the British Museum of Natural History collected samples from the seafloor of the Clarion-Clipperton Region in the central Pacific.
He used a remote-controlled vehicle to work in the area, which is a 7,250 km long geological submarine rupture area.
The study, whose results were published in the academic journal Zookeys, found high species diversity in the region.
Of the 55 specimens collected, 48 were found to belong to different species of animals, and more than 30 to species new to the scientific world.
Among the new species found were segmented worms, centipedes, invertebrates from the same family, marine animals from the same family as jellyfish, and different types of coral.
MARINE MINING WARNING FROM RESEARCHERS
However, 34 samples were found at more than 4,800 meters, two at 4,125 meters and 17 at a depth of 3,000 to 3,562 meters.
The study's authors warned that many animal lineages will be endangered as humans continue to exploit minerals on the seafloor.
"This research is important not only because of the number of potentially new species discovered, but also because it was conducted in the depths of the ocean. We can now identify the species of animals with the samples and the DNA data they have," said lead author of the study, Dr. Guadalupe Bribiesca-Contreras of the Natural History Museum. spoke.
"FIRST WORK IN THE FIELD"
Heading the Natural History Museum's deep-sea research group, Dr. Adrian Glover said:
"We know that millimeter-sized animals, called macrofauna, are extremely biodiverse in the abyss. However, we never knew much about the larger animals we call megafauna because so few specimens were collected. This is the first study to suggest that diversity may be very high in these groups as well. ”