Half of all animals found in the deep sea are new to science
While we have mapped the surface of Mars in high resolution, the floor of our own ocean remains a biological frontier where every second creature lacks a name.
Marine biologists exploring the pitch-black waters below 200 meters frequently find themselves in a world where the rulebook of biology has been rewritten. In recent expeditions to underwater mountains and hydrothermal vents, researchers have discovered that at least 50% of the invertebrates they collect are entirely new to science. These creatures have evolved to survive in a realm of crushing weight and freezing temperatures, resulting in alien body plans like translucent predators with gelatinous skin or bioluminescent worms that glow to lure prey in the dark.