Robots have discovered 39 potential new species at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.
Researchers at the Natural History Museum in London said the undescribed organisms represent a fraction of the undiscovered species from the deep sea, which scientists are working to understand.
A remotely operated vehicle allowed the samples ― collected from the abyssal plains of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone in the central Pacific ― to be brought to the surface.
This enabled scientists to get a much better idea of the organisms living at depths of 3,100 to 5,100 metres below sea level.
In the past animals from this area had been studied only in photographs.
Remarkably, 48 of the 55 specimens recovered were different species, and only nine of the 48 were known to science.
A lot of the life at the bottom of the ocean is a mystery to scientists, and is undisturbed by human activity because it is so hard to reach.
Researchers say that while it is known that tiny, millimetre-sized creatures (macrofauna) in the abyss are extremely biodiverse, there has not been a lot of information about larger animals (megafauna), and the findings indicate this group could also be very diverse.
Dr Guadalupe Bribiesca-Contreras at the Natural History Museum, the lead author on the study, said: "This research is important not only due to the number of potentially new species discovered, but because these megafauna specimens have previously only been studied from seabed images.
"Without the specimens and the DNA data they hold, we cannot properly identify the animals and understand how many different species there are."
Among the samples collected were starfish and sea cucumbers. Many are marine invertebrates.
The team also collected small animals anchored to the sediment or attached to hard substrate such as sea anemones, goose barnacles, sea lilies, sea sponges, and a glass sponge more than a metre long.
They also found swimming sea cucumbers and a sea urchin galloping on the seabed.
One of the newly discovered deep sea species is Psychropotes longicauda, also known as the gummy squirrel.
Merit researcher Dr Adrian Glover, who leads the museum's deep sea research group, said: "We know that small, millimetre-sized animals called macrofauna are extremely biodiverse in the abyss.
"However, we have never really had much information on the larger animals we call megafauna, as so few samples have been collected.
"This study is the first to suggest that diversity may be very high in these groups as well."
The findings are published in the journal Zookeys.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
RESULT
Uruguay 3 Russia 0
Uruguay: Suárez (10'), Cheryshev (23' og), Cavani (90')
Russia: Smolnikov (Red card: 36')
Man of the match: Diego Godin (Uruguay)
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
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- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
if you go
The flights
Emirates flies to Delhi with fares starting from around Dh760 return, while Etihad fares cost about Dh783 return. From Delhi, there are connecting flights to Lucknow.
Where to stay
It is advisable to stay in Lucknow and make a day trip to Kannauj. A stay at the Lebua Lucknow hotel, a traditional Lucknowi mansion, is recommended. Prices start from Dh300 per night (excluding taxes).
On racial profiling at airports
Itcan profile
Founders: Mansour Althani and Abdullah Althani
Based: Business Bay, with offices in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and India
Sector: Technology, digital marketing and e-commerce
Size: 70 employees
Revenue: On track to make Dh100 million in revenue this year since its 2015 launch
Funding: Self-funded to date
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
