An international team has discovered and named eleven new animal species in the deep sea. They are pushing for a faster research process – because some are already threatened.
Bremen – An international team of 25 scientists, including German researchers, has identified eleven new marine species. These new species, which were presented in the scientific publication “Ocean Species Discoveries”, come from different parts of the world’s oceans and can be found at depths of about five to 7081 meters, according to the Senckenberg Society for Natural Research.
Researchers discover eleven new marine species in the deep sea – some of them are already threatened
Some of the newly discovered species live in endangered areas. Four of the described species are threatened by deep-sea mining, which also underlines the importance of the current discovery and naming. Dr. Torben Riehl, co-director of the Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance (SOSA) at the Senckenberg Research Institute, explains: “Marine animals are dying out before we can discover and name them. Invertebrate organisms are disproportionately affected by this.” “It can take 20 to 40 years between the discovery of a new species and its description.” Recently, more than 100 new species have been discovered in the deep sea.
The three most interesting discoveries: pink sea cucumber, wrinkled limpet and a small crustacean
One of the newly discovered species is a pink sea cucumber, which has the Latin name “Psychropotes buglossa” and lives in the depths of the Atlantic. Although it was first described in 1886, it was grouped together with eleven other species under the name “Psychropotes longicauda” in 1975. However, recent DNA analyses have shown that the strikingly colored sea cucumber is actually a separate species. The discovery of sea cucumbers has also caught the attention of amateur researchers: while searching for sea cucumbers in 2016, a diver found something that he thought was a UFO.
Another newly discovered species is a small, wrinkled limpet that lives in hydrothermal vents in the deep sea, where temperatures can reach up to 400 degrees Celsius. Its Latin name is “Lepetodrilus marianae”.
A small crustacean, previously known only by the mysterious holes it leaves in the sea floor, has also been newly described. After careful observation, the animal was discovered and given the name “Cunicolomaera grata”, which means “favorite cave”, to emphasize its penchant for digging.
Publication aims to speed up species description – and thus protect marine life
The publication “Ocean Species Discoveries” will now be published regularly. Its aim is to significantly accelerate the process of describing and naming new species, which often takes decades and is dictated by the requirements of the scientific journals, and thus contribute to the protection status of the organisms.
Dr. Riehl explains the approach: “Various marine invertebrates are summarized in a ‘mega-publication’.” Prof. Dr. Julia Sigwart, co-director of SOSA, also emphasizes the importance: “The survival of these invertebrates depends on whether we manage to discover and name them in time.” She adds: “This is the only way we can record their endangered status on the IUCN Red List in order to influence political decisions.”
Marine life is threatened by global climate change, pollution, plastic waste and overfishing. “Most of the estimated two million marine species are still unknown to us, but they too are falling victim to biodiversity loss,” said Torben Riehl from the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum in Frankfurt. “In short: marine animals are dying out before we can discover and name them.” Invertebrate organisms are particularly affected.
Another sensational discovery set “new standards” when Researchers discovered a 78 million year old dinosaur species. (jh/AFP)
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