Scientists say they have discovered 20 new species deep in the Pacific Ocean : NPR
A potentially new species discovered.
California Academy of Sciences
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California Academy of Sciences
Scientists believe they have discovered at least 20 new species in the depths of the Pacific Ocean.
The discoveries were made after researchers at the California Academy of Sciences recovered 13 reef monitoring devices placed in Guam’s deep coral reefs that had been collecting data since 2018. The devices, known as autonomous reef monitoring structures or ARMS, were placed up to 330 feet below the surface, an area of the ocean that receives little light.
Over two weeks in November, scientists collected 2,000 specimens, finding 100 species in the region for the first time. Luiz Rocha, curator of ichthyology at the California Academy of Sciences, told NPR that once extensive analyzes are completed, scientists expect to discover more than 20 new species. Rocha was also part of the diving exhibit that placed and recovered the devices.
“It will probably be higher than that, because one of the things we do is confirm everything with genetics. So we sequence the DNA of species before we even make sure they’re new,” Rocha said. “And during that process, sometimes what we thought wasn’t a new species ends up becoming a new species because the genetics are different.“
He estimates that some of the potential new species could include crabs, sponges, sea squirts or sea squirts, as well as new sea fans, a type of coral.
A researcher retrieves an ARMS device.
Chrissy Piotrowski/California Academy of Sciences
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Chrissy Piotrowski/California Academy of Sciences
Deep coral reefs live in an area of the ocean, nicknamed the “twilight zone,” that receives little sunlight. Known as the mesopelagic zone, it is an area that is difficult for some scientists to reach due to pressure and requires specialized diving equipment. Rocha’s team studied the “upper twilight zone,” which is between 180 and 330 feet below the surface.
The discovery of new species in this part of the ocean was no surprise to Rocha, who said he and his team expected to make new discoveries. But Rocha said he was surprised to see a hermit crab, which typically lives in abandoned snail shells, attached to a clam.
“When they first showed me the photo, I was like, “What, wait, what is that?” I couldn’t even tell what animal it was. And then I realized, oh, it’s a hermit crab, but it uses a shell,” he said. “The species has a lot of adaptations that allow it to do that, and that was really cool and interesting.“
Rocha and his team also launched a two-year expedition to recover 76 other monitoring devices from deep reefs in the Pacific Ocean, including Palau and French Polynesia.
A hermit crab attached to a shell.
California Academy of Sciences
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California Academy of Sciences
Although studying deep coral reefs can be difficult and challenging, Rocha said it is crucial to learn about the reefs and their habitat.
“They should be protected and important because they are home to hundreds of thousands of different species and they should have as much right to exist as we do,” he said.
