100 New Marine Species Each Discovered Off Chile, New Zealand Under The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census Project (1)
Two international groups of scientists have discovered at least 100 new and potentially new marine species each on underwater mountains off the coast of Chile and in a deep-sea trough off New Zealand.
The groundbreaking discoveries were made as part of the Ocean Census project launched by The Nippon Foundation and Nekton, a U.K.-based marine research institute, in April 2023 with the ambitious target of finding at least 100,000 new marine species in the first decade.
Off Chile’s coast, the research team, led by Dr. Javier Sellanes of the Universidad Católica del Norte, went on a deep-sea expedition between January 8 and February 11 along seamounts of the Nazca and Salas y Gómez ridges, both located outside and within Chile's national jurisdiction, announced Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI), a California-based non-profit organization that focuses on global marine research.
The Salas y Gómez Ridge, a 2,900-kilometer-long submarine mountain range comprising more than 200 peaks stretching from offshore Chile to Easter Island, was a focal point of their study.
The team also explored two of Chile’s marine protected areas, the Juan Fernandez and Nazca-Desventuradas marine parks, to collect data that could set the stage for establishing an international high-seas marine protected area.
Utilizing an advanced underwater robot capable of diving to depths of 4,500 meters, scientists collected data from ten seamounts, identifying deep-sea corals, glass sponges, sea urchins, amphipods, squat lobsters, and other species likely new to science.
During the expedition, experts on board SOI’s research vessel Falkor mapped 52,777 square kilometers of the seafloor, uncovering four previously unknown seamounts within Chilean waters. Among them, the tallest, measuring 3,530 meters, was explored, mapped, and informally named Solito by the science team.
Dr. Sellanes expressed his excitement about the findings, stating: “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,” he added.
The discoveries not only help people better understand the intricate biodiversity of the region but also support marine protection efforts in Chile. The data collected will aid in advancing initiatives to establish an international high-seas marine protected area.
SOI Executive Director Dr. Jyotika Virmani emphasized the significance of the findings in the context of the Nippon Foundation–Nekton Ocean Census Program. Its ambitious goal of identifying 100,00 new marine species in the next decade will include the newfound species from this expedition, highlighting the importance of ongoing research in preserving and understanding Earth’s marine life.
SOI plans to continue its exploration of the Southeast Pacific, examining the waters off Peru and Chile throughout 2024.
“Full species identification can take many years, and Dr. Sellanas and his team have an incredible number of samples from this amazingly beautiful and little-known biodiversity hotspot,” said Dr. Jyotika Virmani.
(To be continued)
