The deep-sea habitat is of immense importance for ocean health, marine biodiversity, and the planet’s biogeochemical cycles. However, its species biodiversity is largely undocumented and poorly understood.
Geo-biologists off the coast of New Zealand sought out on a 31-day deep ocean expedition to explore this frontier environment with the goal of expanding upon species knowledge. The expedition resulted in the discovery of “six new sponge species including a new genus, and two species that had not previously been found in the waters around New Zealand.” The expedition is being hailed a miraculous success.