The deep sea remains largely unknown territory for science, as illustrated by the announcement by a group of researchers from the California Academy of Sciences: during a seven-week expedition, and only in the waters of Paso de la Isla. Verde –the strait that separates the Philippine islands of Luzon and Mindoro–, they have discovered more than a hundred! supposedly new animal species.
" The Philippine Islands are one of the most biodiverse enclaves on Earth, " said Terry Gosliner, principal investigator for this study. The exploration is part of a broader survey of the Coral Triangle, an area of the Pacific that includes coastal waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands and East Timor.
DNA analysis and other tests will confirm if we really are dealing with new species , including quirky sea urchins, tunicates, sea slugs or nudibranchs and goldfish.
