(ORDO NEWS) — Scientists conducting deep sea research in the Maldives have discovered a new ecosystem at a depth of 500 meters.
The discovery is expected to lead to enhanced safety measures for marine life and fisheries in this special region, Nekton said.
Nekton is a UK registered non-profit research foundation and charity that was founded to accelerate scientific research and save the ocean.
Marine ecosystems are defined both by geography and by the marine organisms in the ocean.
Professor Alex Rogers, who spent more than 30 hours underwater in the mission’s submersibles observing the Capture Zone, said: “There are all signs of a brand new ecosystem here.”
“The capture zone creates an oasis of life in the Maldives, and it is very likely that it exists on other oceanic islands as well as on the slopes of the continents,” added Professor Rogers.
“The imaging data, combined with the biological samples we have collected and extensive sonar mapping, indicates the presence of megafaunal predators feeding on swarms of micron nekton that are trapped in the underwater landscape at this depth,” said Professor Lucy Woodall, Chief Scientist at Nekton.
—
Online:
Contact us: [email protected]
Our Standards, Terms of Use: Standard Terms And Conditions.