Scientists have made a stunning discovery after they uncovered 100 new species off of the coast of New Zealand and an entirely new life form.
The Ocean Census, launched last April, has set an ambitious goal to identify 100,000 unknown species within the next decade, aiming to shed light on the mysteries lurking in the ocean depths, as reported by CNN.
During a three-week expedition in February aboard the research vessel Tangaroa, the team collected nearly 1,800 samples from depths as far down as three miles below the surface.
The team employed various types of sleds modified for different terrains, including a beam trawl, a seamount sled, and a specialized device for sampling just above the seafloor.
Regarding the incredible new find, the researchers mistook it for a sea star or sea anemone, though those working along the expansive 500-mile-long Bounty Trough now speculate it might be an entirely new species of deep-sea coral.
Dr. Michela Mitchell, a taxonomist at the Queensland Museum Network, expressed her excitement, stating: "Even more excitingly, it could be a whole new group outside of the octocoral. If it is, that is a significant find for the deep sea and gives us a much clearer picture of the planet’s unique biodiversity."
The discovery has left scientists scratching their heads. "It is still a mystery. We can’t even describe it to family. We don’t know where it is in the tree (of life) as of yet, so that’ll be interesting," said Dr. Daniel Moore of the Ocean Census.
"It was true exploration, very exciting," Moore exclaimed.
In addition to the potentially groundbreaking discovery of the deep-sea coral, the team also encountered a new species of fish, identified as an eelpout.
"The eelpout was instantly recognized as being different from the others," Moore explained.
Commenting on the rarity of discovering new vertebrates, Moore stated: "Finding new vertebrates is rare. There are hundreds of thousands of invertebrates in the sea that we still don’t know. Vertebrates, we like to think that we know what’s out there, but the reality is, we just don’t."
Despite these remarkable discoveries, the vast majority of the ocean remains unexplored. According to the Ocean Census, of the estimated 2.2 million species believed to inhabit its watery depths, only about 240,000 have been cataloged by scientists.
This isn't the only recent remarkable discovery, as a group led by Dr. Javier Sellanes of the Universidad Católica del Norte off the coast of Chile believes they've discovered over 100 new species.
Dr. Javier Sellanes told Schmidt Ocean: "We far exceeded our hopes on this expedition. You always expect to find new species in these remote and poorly explored areas, but the amount we found, especially for some groups like sponges, is mind-blowing.
"These thriving and healthy ecosystems indicate that the Nazca-Desventuradas and Juan Fernández Marine Parks effectively protect delicate marine habitats."
Who knows what sea creatures are lurking down there... it's no wonder some people have a fear of the ocean!
