An international team has described a new deep-sea stony coral, Deltocyathus zoemetallicus.
The new species has been found attached to polymetallic nodules in the Clarion–Clipperton Zone (CCZ) at a depth of 4,150–4,250m/13,615-13,943ft.
This is the first hard-coral species documented living directly on these slow-growing, metal-rich nodules, which are targeted for deep-seabed mining. The coral is an azooxanthellate scleractinian and survives by capturing drifting particles in total darkness.
Specimens were harvested during expeditions aboard OSV Maersk Launcher and RRS James Cook. These were then examined with high-resolution imaging and 3D micro-CT to confirm their novelty.
Discussing the new findings, Dr. Nadia Santodomingo, the head of Marine Invertebrates I Section at the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, stated:
“This tiny coral is a hidden gem of the abyss. It lives directly on the nodules that mining companies are preparing to extract. If these nodules are removed, we risk wiping out an entire species we have only just found.”
Describing the imperative to save coral, Santodomingo added:
“Protecting these habitats is not just about saving one coral. It’s about preserving an entire world of deep-sea life that may vanish before we even know it exists.”
Dr. Guadalupe Bribiesca-Contreras, lead author and applied scientist at NOC, stated:
“This discovery underscores how little we know about life in the deep sea. Every new species we find reminds us that the ocean floor is a living ecosystem and we still have so much research to do to explore and understand it fully.”
