The type specimen is normally the first of a species ever discovered, but historic collection methods mean they aren't always in the best condition. There are probably not yet enough samples to understand the variation within them fully.'Īnother difficulty the researchers face is comparing their specimens to the type specimens, which are the individuals used to represent and identify a species. 'We thought that some of the species we found were cosmopolitan, living across large areas of the ocean, but by looking more closely at their DNA we found that they are different species, possibly restricted to smaller habitats. 'We were not certain that there would be any known species from the area as so many species are yet to be described. 'I was definitely not expecting to find so many animals,' Guadalupe says. ![]() The remaining 39 may be new species, but it is difficult to assess. Overall, the ROV collected evidence of 48 different species, of which only nine are currently known to science. Why is it hard to identify deep sea species? ![]() 'Our study looked at three of these protected Areas of Particular Environmental Interest (APEIs) thanks to grants from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the leadership of Prof Emeritus Craig Smith of the University of Hawaii.' One problem is that in the CCZ, areas have been protected but we know rather little about them.' 'It's very expensive to go out on research cruises, and they don't generally return to the same areas. 'The deep sea is pretty understudied,' Guadalupe says. The CCZ is a focus of scientific research to evaluate the impacts of seabed mining on this environment, which is remote and difficult to research. While proponents of seabed mining argue that harvesting the polymetallic nodules will pave the way for a green revolution without impacting land-based ecosystems, opponents worry that it could devastate the oceans by causing irreparable damage to seafloor ecosystems. There are not enough of these metals available to recycle in the medium term, so instead, the possibility of seabed mining has been suggested as one way to meet demand. As these materials form a crucial part of net-zero energy technologies, such as wind turbines and electric cars, interest in extracting these metals continues to rise. It has been estimated that there is more cobalt and nickel in polymetallic nodules than can be found on land. They are rich in important metals such as cobalt, nickel, manganese and copper. This is due to large portions of its flat abyssal plains being covered in potato-sized mineral lumps known as polymetallic nodules. While the majority of Earth's surface is covered in similarly deep ocean, the CCZ attracts international attention. It is around 5,500 metres at its deepest, which is nearly as deep as Mount Kilimanjaro is high. The Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) covers over five million square kilometres in the Pacific Ocean, lying between Hawaii and Mexico. The findings, published in the journal Zookeys, add further evidence that the majority of deep sea life is yet to be discovered. This study is the first to suggest that diversity may be very high in these groups as well.' 'However, we have never really had much information on the larger animals we call megafauna, as so few samples have been collected. Merit Researcher Dr Adrian Glover, who leads the Museum's Deep Sea Research Group, says, 'We know that small millimetre-sized animals called macrofauna are extremely biodiverse in the abyss.' Remarkably, of the 55 specimens recovered, 48 were different species. 'Without the specimens and the DNA data they hold, we cannot properly identify the animals and understand how many different species there are.' ![]() 'This research is important not only due to the number of potentially new species discovered, but because these megafauna specimens have previously only been studied from seabed images,' the Museum researcher says. ![]() This allowed specimens to be brought to the surface, enabling scientists to get a much better idea of the organisms living at the bottom of the ocean.ĭr Guadalupe Bribiesca-Contreras is the lead author on a new study revealing this previously unknown diversity. The new species were collected from the abyssal plains of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone in the central Pacific using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). One of the least explored regions of the world has revealed a collection of species unknown to science.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |