PARIS: A vast area at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean earmarked for controversial deep sea mineral mining is home to thousands of species unknown to science and more complex than previously understood, according to several new studies. Miners are eyeing an abyssal plain stretching between Hawaii and Mexico
PARIS: A vast area at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean earmarked for controversial deep sea mineral mining is home to thousands of species unknown to science and more complex than previously understood, according to several new studies.
And the more they look the more they have found, from a giant sea cucumber dubbed the"gummy squirrel" and a shrimp with a set of elongated bristly legs, to the many different tiny worms, crustaceans and mollusks living in the mud. They are the"last frontier", said marine biologist Erik Simon-Lledo, who led research published Monday in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution that mapped the distribution of animals in the CCZ and found a more complex set of communities than previously thought.
Campaigners say this biodiversity is the true treasure of the deep sea and warn that mining would pose a major threat by churning up huge plumes of previously-undisturbed sediment."With the science as it is at the present day, there is no circumstance under which we would support mining of the seabed," said Sophie Benbow of the NGO Fauna and Flora.The Clarion-Clipperton zone has both its age and its size to thank for the unique animals discovered there, scientists say.
That study found that more than 90 per cent of species recorded in the CCZ - some 5,000 species - are new to science.
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
PSG drop Kylian Mbappe from squad for Asian tourPARIS – French champions Paris Saint-Germain have left Kylian Mbappe out of the squad for a pre-season tour of Japan, casting further doubt on the star forward’s future. The 24-year-old has been taking part in the club’s pre-season preparations and played the last 30...
Read more »
Harry Kane and Son Heung-min crowd favourites as Spurs arrive in SingaporeSINGAPORE - The future of Harry Kane is still up in the air but Singaporeans' love for the English forward is unshakeable. The 29-year-old English forward and South Korean star Son Heung-min drew the loudest cheers at the Pan Pacific hotel as they arrived with their Tottenham Hotspur teammates at around 2.30am on Monday (July 24). Spurs, who finished eighth...
Read more »
Kane and Son crowd favourites as Spurs arrive in SingaporeThe future of Harry Kane is still up in the air but Singaporeans’ love for the English forward is unshakeable. The 29-year-old English forward and South Korean star Son Heung-min drew the loudest cheers at the Pan Pacific hotel as they arrived with their Tottenham Hotspur...
Read more »
Vingegaard retains Tour de France titlePARIS : Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark won back-to-back men's Tour de France titles following Sunday's final stage, which was won by Belgian Jordi Meeus.Slovenian Tadej Pogacar was second with Briton Adam Yates taking third place.
Read more »
Local activist recounts being surveilled as questions of who leaked Perera-Seah video continue to circulate - Singapore NewsKirsten Han claimed that it had become widely known within the activist community that they are occasionally and not so discreetly filmed by unknown individuals
Read more »