Brand new animals discovered after an expedition to the bottom of the sea

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Animals that have never seen the light of day have been brought to the surface for the first time during a research expedition in the Pacific Ocean.

These include transparent sea cucumbers and pink porpoises.

These areas are the least explored on Earth. They are as unknown to us today as the African savannah was to the Linnaeans in the 18th century, says Thomas Dahlgren, who participated in the expedition.

After a 45-day expedition in the area between Mexico and Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean, the British research ship James Cook recently returned with completely unique results.

Among other things, they brought translucent sea cucumbers, bowl-shaped fungi and pink porpoises from the abyssal plains. The depth of the seabeds ranges from 3,500 to 5,500 metres, and it constitutes more than half of the Earth's surface.

– These species are new to us. It is estimated that science has described only one in ten animal species in the region, says Thomas Dahlgren, a researcher in marine ecology at the University of Gothenburg and the research institute NORCE.

It could be 15,000 years old

One of the animals depicted in the film is the cup-shaped bottle mushroom, which is believed to be up to 15,000 years old. They would then have the longest lifespan of any creature on Earth.

Despite the lack of food on the sea floor, the animals were able to feed on marine snow, that is, particles that drift from the surface. The pink porpoise has reshaped feet on its upper side which are used to swallow particles.

These areas are the least explored on Earth. They are as unknown to us today as the African savannah was to the Linnaeans in the 18th century, says Thomas Dahlgren.

“Needs more knowledge about animal life”

One of the mission's goals was to map biodiversity. Many countries and companies are awaiting permits for deep-sea mining in the region for rare earths used in solar panels, electric car batteries and other green technologies.

But the researchers want to investigate how this work affects the species' ecosystem.

-We need more knowledge about animal life so that we can protect them. It's just a matter of raising your arms and bringing up more cans to get a better picture of the area, says Thomas Dahlgren.

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