Marine Discovery: New Zealand Scientists Discover 100 New Species

New Zealand scientists have discovered 100 new marine species in the uncharted waters of Bounty Trough off the coast of the South Island.

The discovery was a result of the efforts of a team of 21 scientists who were hoping to find a trove of new species. The endeavor paid off as the team said on Sunday that they found 100 new species, which is a number that Alex Rogers, a marine biologist who was the leader of the expedition, said is likely to grow.

New Zealand Marine Discovery

A team of scientists discovered 100 new species of marine life in the uncharted waters of Bounty Trough off the South Island of New Zealand.(not actual photo)
(Photo : Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

In a statement, Rogers said that the number would grow as they work through more and more of the samples. He added that the discovery could include hundreds and not only the 100 that were already analyzed.

The expedition led to the discovery of dozens of mollusks, three fish, a shrimp, and a cephalopod, which is a type of predatory mollusk.

The efforts were led by Ocean Census, which is a non-profit that is dedicated to the global discovery of ocean life, the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research in New Zealand, and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, according to the New York Times.

One creature that was among the discovered species was said to have caused a "lot of head-scratching" as it was a star-shaped animal, roughly a centimeter across. Researchers have not yet managed to identify it. Rogers said that the team believes it could possibly be a type of coral.

While there are an estimated 2 million or more species that are said to live in the oceans, only about 10% of ocean life is known. It is considered crucial to understand more about aquatic life because marine ecosystems carry out functions that support life on Earth. This includes the creation of food for billions, the storage of carbon, and the regulation of the climate.

Rogers noted that they are dealing with a situation where they know that marine life is in decline. He added that in order to try to manage human activities to prevent this from continuing, they need to understand the distribution of marine life better than what is currently known.

Discovering 100 New Species

Sadie Milles, a co-leader of the voyage and a NIWA marine biologist, said that the expedition showed that the Bounty Trough was flourishing with marine life. She noted that they went to a variety of different habitats and were able to discover a whole range of new species, from fish to snails, to corals and sea cucumbers, said RNZ.

Milles noted that the Ocean Census gave them the chance to explore an area of Aotearoa's deep seafloor that scientists knew very little about in the past in terms of the animals that live there. The team of scientists will spend the next three weeks sorting and describing the specimens that they collected. This is so that they can be added to the picture of Aotearoa New Zealand's marine biodiversity.

Rogers said that they chose to come to New Zealand because of its world-class marine scientists and their track record in deep ocean species discovery. He noted that the remarkable collections of species that have been identified and housed by NIWA and Te Papa are among the greatest treasures of the marine science world, according to NIWA.