Scientists have discovered nine new species of deep-sea sponge off Alaska. 9 animals we did not even know existed. And while scientists are still working out who lives at the bottom of the ocean, humans are already discussing how much of it we can scrape, mine and destroy.
The new species were found in the Gulf of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, bringing the number of known sponge species in Alaska to 232. Researchers believe there could be hundreds more still waiting to be identified. Some of the specimens had actually been collected as far back as 2012 during bottom-trawl surveys before eventually being described in two scientific papers published years later. That should tell us something about how little we know about the deep sea.
Sponges are animals. They are among the earliest multicellular animals on Earth, with a history stretching back more than 600 million years. They filter seawater and create complex structures across the seafloor which provide habitat and refuge for other animals.
NOAA considers dense sponge communities essential fish habitat because of the shelter they provide. But one of the threats facing these ecosystems is bottom trawling. Yes, bottom trawling. Dragging fishing equipment across the seabed while scientists are still discovering species living there.
The Trump administration has proposed expanding deep-sea mining for minerals including nickel and copper, alongside plans to explore mining across millions of hectares of Pacific ecosystems. There is something spectacularly arrogant about this. Researchers cannot easily access much of the deep ocean. Rocky areas can be beyond the reach of surveys. Species collected more than a decade ago are still being identified.
We do not know who is down there.
We do not know how many species remain undiscovered.
We do know industrial activity can destroy the habitat they depend on.
Perhaps discovering a new species should mean more than giving them a name before we destroy their home.