Underwater creatures: 5,000 new species found in the Pacific Ocean
- Published
![A brittle star](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/976/cpsprodpb/12CBB/production/_129878967_favepic7.jpg)
5,000 new species have been found in an area of the Pacific Ocean called the Clarion-Clipperton Zone.
![A gummy squirrel](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/976/cpsprodpb/4643/production/_129878971_gummysquirrel2sails.jpg)
These weird and wonderful creatures include worms, corals and sea cucumbers known as "gummy squirrels and bears".
![Scientist at the Natural History Museum, London](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/976/cpsprodpb/2389/production/_129879090_murielrabonewithdeepseaspecimens2.jpg)
Scientists, like Muriel Rabone, have put together the list of creatures for the first time. There are plans to mine the zone for deep-sea metals which could put the nature of the area at risk.
![Small Abyssal Worms](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/976/cpsprodpb/BFC9/production/_129879094_jc241-annelida.jpg)
Of the creatures found in the study, 90% of them were completely new to scientists.
Check out some of the species below!
![An Abyssal Gummy Squirrel](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/976/cpsprodpb/4BC5/production/_129879391_abyssalgummysquirrel.jpg)
An abyssal gummy squirrel was one of the strange creatures found at the bottom of the ocean.
![Carnivorous Sponge](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/976/cpsprodpb/289D/production/_129879301_carnivoroussponge.jpg)
Scientists sent remote-controlled vehicles down to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean where they found species like this carnivorous sponge. It’s like a box being dragged across the ocean floor!
![Abyssal Sea Cucumber](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/976/cpsprodpb/1594D/production/_129879388_abyssalseacucumber.jpg)
They then made a huge list of all the creatures that they found, like the abyssal sea cucumber.
![Ping Pong Sponge](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/976/cpsprodpb/99E5/production/_129879393_pingpongsponge.jpg)
It’s the first time a list like this has been made of what lives in this area - like this ping pong sponge. Now they know what does live there they can begin to understand how to approach and protect these creatures.
![Anemone](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/976/cpsprodpb/14A75/production/_129879548_anemone.jpg)
5,000 new animal species were discovered and this anemone is one of them. But scientists think there's a lot more still to be discovered.
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