Within a deep canon that humankind had not lay eyes on before , scientists discovered at least 100 new marine specie , each more weird and wonderful than the last .
The sea critter were recently found within the Bounty Trough off the east seacoast of New Zealand ’s South Island during a three - week ocean trip on the inquiry vas Tangaroa , operate by New Zealand ’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research ( NIWA ) .
A crew of 21 scientists onboard the Ocean Census expedition recently ventured to this far - flung patch of the Southern Hemisphere to document unexampled maritime specie – and their movement did not let down .
New species of fish discovered by the recent expedition.Image credit: Ocean Census/NIWA
Along the 800 - kilometer ( 497 - mile ) Bounty Trough , at depth of up to 4,800 meters ( 15,748 feet ) , the team gather around 1,800 samples . They ’re still strain through all the specimens , but they expect to identify over 100 young species , include dozens of mollusks , three fishes , a shrimp , acephalopod , and a new genus of red coral .
“ It looks like we have a swell haulage of new , undiscovered mintage . By the time all our specimens are examined , we will be north of 100 new species . But what ’s really surprise me here is the fact this extend to animals like fish – we cerebrate we ’ve got three new species of Pisces the Fishes , ” Professor Alex Rogers , carbon monoxide - leader of the expedition and science director at Ocean Census , said in astatement .
“ We ’ve conk out to caboodle of different habitats and discovered a whole range of new species , from fish to snails , to corals and sea cucumbers – really interesting species that are going to be new to science , ” supply Sadie Mills , voyage conscientious objector - drawing card and marine biologist at the NIWA .
A new species of comma shrimp, also known as the hooded shrimp.Image credit: Ocean Census/NIWA
However , not all of the species can be easily slot into the taxonomic tree of life . One specimen is proving to be particularly perplexing ; members of the team have suppose whether it might be aseastar , a sea anemone , or a zoanthid - alike creature , but the animal does not outfit into any of these class .
“ We ’ve got a mess of experts here having a look who are very excited , ” explained Dr Michela Mitchell , a taxonomer at the Queensland Museum connection .
“ We now think it could be a newfangled specie of octocoral , but also a new genus [ wider grouping of species ] . Even more excitingly , it could be a whole Modern group outside of the octocoral . If it is , that is a significant find for the cryptic sea and give us a much clear image of the planet ’s alone biodiversity , ” she add .
The researchers believe this specimen is a new genus of black coral.Image credit: Ocean Census/NIWA
It’sestimatedthat 91 percent of ocean mintage are presently unknown to skill , while more than 80 percentage of the sea is unmapped and unexplored . as luck would have it , swarms of scientists are run hard to alter that .
Founded by the Nippon Foundation of Japan and the UK - establish chemical group Nekton , Ocean Census has coiffure a target to document 100,000 new metal money in a ten before they are potentially lost to the many problems facing the universe ’s oceans , such as contamination , overfishing , andclimate change .
On the other side of the Pacific Ocean along the coast of the Americas , the Schmidt Ocean Institute is currentlycarrying out expeditionsas part of a expectant effort to map the entire sea flooring by the destruction of this decade . Just last month , the Schmidt squad announced they had alsodiscovered 100 new leatherneck metal money .
Do n’t concern , it ’s not a competition . Both the Schmidt Ocean Institute and the NIWA are partner of Ocean Census , so all of their efforts will go towards the ultimate goal of 100,000 new species by the ending of this decade .
