Emily Chan
Samples of the creatures were taken so researchers could determine whether each species really was new to science. The process can take years, especially with the vast amount of data they have to work with.
Many of the species lived within vulnerable habitats, such as sponge gardens and cold-water corals. These areas are at high risk of being damaged by deep-sea mining and fishing.
The Juan Fernández and Nazca-Desventuradas marine parks are legally protected from these activities, so the species located there will remain safe. However, the Nazca and Salas y Gómez ridges are currently unprotected.
“This part of the world is important because of its biodiversity and also because it’s a very interesting geological region,” said Jyotika Virmani, the executive director at Schmidt Ocean Institute. “It’s the meeting of a number of plates, tectonic plates.”
Another expedition is already in progress to continue the exploration of the region. It’s important to study these more isolated areas of the deep sea so that we can further our knowledge of life on Earth and help preserve the incredible communities that live there.
