Underwater pipelines could attract the good, the bad and the ugly. New research from the National Oceanography Centre in the U.K. reports that a new oil and gas pipeline off the Angolan coast in Africa, harbors abundant and diverse wildlife. However, it also traps huge amounts of litter. Through long-term monitoring of the pipeline, the researchers hope to understand the impacts of human activity on remote deep-sea ecosystems and discover previously un-described species.
The deep sea is rife with awe-inspiring biodiversity, from anglerfish with lamplit heads to yeti crabs with bacteria-farming arms. However, reaching the deep sea is difficult and expensive. Researchers estimate that over 80 percent of the ocean is unexplored, and 90 percent of deep-sea creatures are un-described. The deep sea is also a hotspot for oil and gas exploration, and scientists are increasingly interested in understanding the impacts of deep-sea exploration on marine life.
To survey deep-sea ...
