An international research team led by Dr. Guadalupe Bribiesca-Contreras from the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) and Senckenberg scientist Dr. Nadia Santodomingo have discovered a new species of deep-sea coral that lives attached
An international research team led by Dr. Guadalupe Bribiesca-Contreras from the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) and Senckenberg scientist Dr. Nadia Santodomingo have discovered a new species of deep-sea coral that lives attached to polymetallic nodules – the same mineral-rich rocks that are the focus of growing international interest for deep-seabed mining.
The coral, Deltocyathus zoemetallicus – now described in a new study published in the “Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society” – was found more than 4,000 meters below the surface in the Clarion–Clipperton Zone (CCZ) of the Pacific Ocean. This is the first known hard-coral species to live directly on these nodules.
The nodules grow extremely slowly – only a few millimeters over thousands of years. If mining were to remove them, this newly discovered species could lose its only known habitat – potentially before we fully understand its biology or ecological role.
The deep ocean floor was once thought to be flat, muddy, and largely lifeless, however it hosts a wide range of habitats and rich biodiversity.
The CCZ holds the world’s largest known deposits of polymetallic nodules – potato-sized lumps rich in manganese, nickel, cobalt, and other critical metals used in electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy technologies.
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