Deep beneath the waves of the sea, hidden ecosystems have thrived for millennia. Scientists continue to discover more of them, including the recent find of a whole new underwater mountain and 20 potentially new deep-sea species about 900 miles off the coast of Chile.
Discovering so many rare and likely new species is exciting, but far more unknown species lurk in the abyss just waiting to be discovered. While their ecosystems have long escaped human notice, there’s no guarantee they’ll escape human influence.
“These creatures rely on very pristine ecosystems which are easily interrupted and tipped out of balance,” says Tomer Ketter, Schmidt Ocean Institute’s (SOI) marine technician who co-led the expedition with SOI executive director Jyotika Virmani.
New Marine Life Discovered Near Nazca Ridge
In this new finding, the researchers explored a submerged mountain range called the Nazca Ridge aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s Falkor (too) research vessel.
