A deep, dark section of the Pacific Ocean — the abyssal plain known as the Clarion-Clipperton Zone — contains more than 5,500 marine life species, about 90 percent of which are new to science, according to a new study.
Mining companies have staked out licenses to mine precious minerals from the area, something that can begin once the International Seabed Authority lays out final mining regulations, which could happen in a few weeks. Meanwhile, scientists should start assessing which of these species are most vulnerable to extinction, the new paper says.
New Marine Life Discovered
(Credit: NOAA/Craig Smith and Diva Amon)
Relicanthus sp., a new species collected at 4,100 meters in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone.
