과학자들이 태평양에서 5,000종의 새로운 종을 발견했습니다

By Cell Press2023년 6월 7일

박물관 소장품 중 엄선된 심해 표본. 출처: 런던 자연사 박물관 이사

The Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), a massive area in the Pacific Ocean twice the size of India and rich in minerals, has been parceled out to various companies for impending deep-sea mining. To gain insights into what could be jeopardized once mining operations begin, a group of biologists has constructed the first "CCZ checklist." This checklist encompasses all the speciesA species is a group of living organisms that share a set of common characteristics and are able to breed and produce fertile offspring. The concept of a species is important in biology as it is used to classify and organize the diversity of life. There are different ways to define a species, but the most widely accepted one is the biological species concept, which defines a species as a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce viable offspring in nature. This definition is widely used in evolutionary biology and ecology to identify and classify living organisms." data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]">과거 이 지역에 대한 연구 항해를 통해 수집된 종 기록입니다.

Their research, which was recently published in the journal Current BiologyCurrent Biology is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published biweekly by Cell Press. It is focused on all aspects of biology, from molecular biology and genetics to ecology and evolutionary biology. The journal covers a wide range of topics, including cellular biology, neuroscience, animal behavior, plant biology, and more. Current Biology is known for its high-impact research articles, as well as its insightful commentary, analysis, and reviews of the latest developments in the field. It is widely read by scientists and researchers in biology and related fields, and has a reputation for publishing groundbreaking research that advances our understanding of the natural world." data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]"> 현재 생물학(Current Biology)은 CCZ 내에서 총 5,578종의 독특한 종을 식별했습니다. 놀랍게도 그들은 이들 종의 88%에서 92%가 과학계에 완전히 새로운 것으로 추정됩니다.

영국 런던 자연사 박물관의 심해 생태학자인 무리엘 라본(Muriel Rabone)은 "우리는 이 모든 놀라운 생물 다양성과 함께 이 행성을 공유하고 있으며 이를 이해하고 보호할 책임이 있습니다."라고 말했습니다.

하와이에서 멕시코까지 600만 평방킬로미터에 달하는 CCZ는 전 세계 해양에서 가장 깨끗한 야생 지역 중 하나입니다. 이를 연구하기 위해 연구자들은 해저를 횡단하는 원격 조종 차량과 같은 기술적인 것부터 바닥에 착륙하는 견고한 상자와 같은 단순한 것까지 다양한 샘플링 기술을 사용하는 연구 크루즈를 타고 태평양을 향해 용감하게 나아갑니다. 박스 코어 샘플링').

Rabone은 "이 배는 큰 배지만 바다 한가운데서 작게 느껴집니다. 폭풍이 몰아치는 것을 볼 수 있어 매우 드라마틱합니다."라고 말했습니다. "그리고 그것은 놀라웠습니다. 모든 단일 상자 핵심 샘플에서 우리는 새로운 종을 볼 수 있었습니다."

By parsing through over 100,000 records of creatures found in the CCZ taken during these deep-sea expeditions, Rabone and her co-authors found that only six of the new species found in the CCZ—which include a sea cucumber, a nematode, and a carnivorous sponge—have been seen in other regions. They also found that the most common types of animals in the CCZ are arthropods (invertebratesInvertebrates are animals that do not have a backbone. They make up the majority of the animal kingdom and include animals such as insects, worms, mollusks, and arachnids. Invertebrates are found in almost every habitat on Earth, from the depths of the oceans to the highest mountains. They play important roles in the ecosystem as decomposers, pollinators, and as a food source for other animals. Invertebrates have a wide range of body shapes, sizes, and behaviors, and they have evolved a variety of ways to survive and thrive in their environments." data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]"invertebrates with segmented joints), worms, echinoderms (spiny invertebrates like sea urchins), and sponges./p>