12 new species of living beings discovered in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean
As part of a five-year expedition to study the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, scientists have discovered 12 previously unknown species of living things. These are sea mosses, molluscs and corals, according to BBC News.
Many of them may be endangered as the ocean suffers from climate change. Water absorbs large amounts of carbon dioxide. As a result, their chemical composition changes, causing, for example, coral corrosion.
According to scientists, the ocean floor has been studied less than the surface of the Moon and Mars. Therefore, going down, you can find not just new individual species, but entire ecosystems.
Participants in a new study have found a way to descend to depths inaccessible to divers. They managed to find “entire communities formed by sponges or deep-sea corals.” Scientists have compared them to “underwater cities” that support the life of other species – for example, fish use them as spawning grounds.
“Rainforests are an important site for the conservation of biodiversity on land; the same is true for deep water areas – there are important places that need to be protected, ”- noted the participants in the scientific work.
Researchers from 13 countries took part in the project. They studied the chemical and physical processes of the ocean and watched how the ocean environment changes with warming and the more pronounced human presence.
Earlier it was reported that two new species of shark were found in the Indian Ocean. Both are in a vulnerable position.
