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Funded by the European Union, the $ 11 million ATLAS project involved the participation of 13 nations and more than 80 student scientists and volunteers. The voyage was considered the largest ocean operation ever, as officials hoped to gain a better understanding of the water, seabed, currents and creatures that inhabit the Atlantic Ocean.
In concluding their year-long study, researchers recently announced that their project had discovered 12 deep-sea species previously unknown to scientists, including new coral species.
Officials noted in their findings that the growth of a coral called Epizoanthus martinsae was among the several new discoveries, which researchers described thrive on black corals that are more than 1,300 feet below the ocean’s surface.
Two mosses called Microporella funbio, found near an underwater mud volcano off the coast of Spain, and Antropora gemarita have also been found in Atlantic waters. Researchers explained that Antropora gemarita occurs to feed food particles that hang in the water.
The team of researchers found up to 35 species in parts of the Atlantic Ocean where they had previously unknown their existence.
Sea plants at Reykjanes Ridge Iceland
“We found whole communities created by deep-sea sponges or corals that are cities in the deep sea,” Murray Roberts, who led the ATLAS project, told the BBC. “They support life. So fish are very important to use as spawning grounds. “
“If these cities are destroyed by destructive human practices, these fish have no place to spawn and the functioning of these ecosystems is lost for future generations.”
“It’s like realizing that the rainforest is an important place for biodiversity on land; the same is true of the deep sea – there are important places that need to be protected and, crucially. , they are all connected, “added an Edinburgh University professor.
The image is donated by the ATLAS Project recording black corals and crabs at Rockall Bank.
In addition, the study found more evidence that greenhouse gases contributed to rising temperatures and as a result slowed down currents and increased ocean acidity, causing significant damage. on fine coral reefs. Officials estimated that about 50% of cold-water coral habitats were at risk from global warming.
In a statement to the Broadcasting Association of Australia, Roberts said that “skeletons are becoming more porous as slightly acidic seawater irritates and damages their skeleton. ”
Cold water corals and cliffs
While mapping ocean currents, officials discovered a range of hydrothermal fins in the Azores, an autonomous region in Portugal. Hot springs on the ocean floor are famous for supporting marine life such as yeti crabs and legless gastropods, as well as tube worms and vent mussels.
As deep-sea divers were not an option for the study, officers relied heavily on the use of underwater robots that were able to retrieve a number of scientific samples. The multi-year study to date has published 113 peer-reviewed research papers, according to Science Alert, which also said an additional 98 studies are expected.
Researchers plan to launch a new study to deepen the study of Atlantic waters, which will last until at least 2023.