A study that investigated the depth of the Atlantic Ocean for nearly five years Unprecedented description of 12 previously unknown species Of science.
about this Sea moss, molluscs and coral that were not discovered Why till now Seabed is still very unemployed, Scientists say.
But researchers warn that newly discovered animals may already be at risk Climate change, Which are changing the composition of seawater.
The carbon dioxide absorbed by the ocean is making it more acidic, causing erosion of coral skeletons.
Scientists involved in the project, called Atlas, emphasized that “it is not too late to protect these particular species” and the important habitat they live on.
Corals are like the foundations of cities in the depths, providing shelter and food for a variety of species – Photo: Atlas via BBC
Some important discoveries of the mission in the Atlantic:
- New Species: “At least” 12 new deepwater species. The team also found records of 35 new species in areas where they were previously unknown.
- Climate change: Warming of the seas, acidification and reduction in food availability will significantly change and reduce the availability of suitable habitats for deep-sea species for 2100.
- hydrothermal vents: Scientists have discovered an area of these hot springs along the sea in the Azores in Portugal. Hydrothermal areas are important areas of relatively high biological productivity, hosting complex communities in the midst of vast deep seas
Gemarite anthropora feeds on food particles suspended in water – Photo: Atlas via BBC
As Professor George Wolff, an ocean chemist at the University of Liverpool who was involved in the project, said, “We can still say that we have better maps of the surface of the moon and Mars than the ocean.”
“Therefore, whenever you go to the bottom of the ocean, you find something new – not only individual species, but the entire ecosystem.”
Professor Murray Roberts of the University of Edinburgh – who led the Atlas project – told BBC News that nearly five years of exploration and investigation have revealed some “special places” and “how they work” at sea.
“We found entire communities formed by sponges or corals, which form cities on the ocean floor,” he explained.
Underwater robotics equipment allowed exploration at depths crushing human divers – Photo: Atlas with BBC
“They support life. Therefore, really important fish use these sites as spanning grounds. If these cities are damaged by destructive human use, the breeding of these fish will take place somewhere and all these ecological The function of the mechanisms will be lost to future generations. “
“It’s like understanding that the rainforest is an important place for terrestrial biodiversity. The same goes for seabird: there are important places that need to be protected – and, most importantly, they’re all interconnected.”
Decreased speed of ocean currents
Researchers undertake over 40 Atlantic expeditions to explore sea level in detail – Photo: Atlas with BBC
The project involved researchers from 13 countries around the Atlantic – combining ocean chemistry and physics, as well as biological discovery, to find out how the ocean’s climate is changing with global warming and how fishing and Humans explore more of the ocean for mining. Of minerals.
Studies of ocean currents and fossil deposits on the seafloor showed that the main currents in the North Atlantic declined dramatically in response to climate change.
Professor Roberts pointed out, “The implications of this are complex, but potentially diminishing links between ecosystems,” because ocean currents are roads that connect various habitats to the vastness of the deep sea.
A bryozoan named Micropola Fenbio was discovered in an underwater mud volcano off the Spanish coast – Photo: Atlas Through BBC
“The value of all this knowledge allows us to understand what risks and losses we can take,” said Professor Claire Armstrong, a natural resource economist at the University of Troms, Norway.
“The ocean floor can be so far away from view and mind that we are not aware of what our environment and the consequences of what we do.”
With a growing global population, including emerging areas of increasing pollution and seaside commercial activity, including prospecting for medical and industrially useful products, marine scientists say it is important to fill gaps in our knowledge of the ocean.
The ocean is not an infinite resource, Professor Armstrong says. “It is very difficult to preserve and know what we may need in the future.”
VIDEOS: Nature and Environment
