New deep sea animal discoveries warrant expanded protections in Costa Rican waters

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Investigating these systems on all biological size scales, the team focused on relationships between species, from microbes to fauna like fish and corals. At least four new species of deep-sea corals and six other animals that are new to science were found. This expedition represents the first time that seven of the seamounts in the area have been surveyed. The survey results, including description of the coral communities that they host, will support the effort to create a new marine protected area around these seamounts ensuring that they are not impacted by fishing or potential mining activities.

"This research will support Costa Rica's efforts to conserve these important habitats by providing a baseline of the incredible species and ecosystems found in the deeper areas that don't always attract the attention that they deserve," said Schmidt Ocean Institute Cofounder Wendy Schmidt. "One of the most important things we can do now is understand how these communities work, so if there are changes in the future we can measure human impact."

Waters - Humans - Threat - Ecosystems

Even in deep waters, humans pose a threat to these fragile ecosystems. During...

(Excerpt) Read more at: ScienceDaily

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