Greenpeace concluded a month-long science expedition to seamounts and hydrothermal hotsprings in the Arctic deep sea, today. The expedition brought together world-leading researchers to explore deep-sea ecosystems and places never before been seen by humans. The ROV dives down to 3000 metres were livestreamed, and over 450,000 people tuned in to follow the divestreams on Youtube, TikTok and Instagram. The scientists onboard will now analyse the high-resolution video material taken and all samples in detail, and several potential new species are believed to have been discovered during the expedition.
Photos and video for press available in the Greenpeace Media Library.
The area of the expedition survey was opened up for deep-sea mining by the Norwegian government in 2024, but has been stopped until at least 2029 after protests from environmental organisations, scientists, fishermen and the Green opposition parties in Norway.[1]
Dr. Sandra Schöttner, Chief Scientist on board, Greenpeace International said: "The deep sea mining industry has not yet started to tear up the seabed, and we therefore have the opportunity to stop an environmental disaster before it happens. We will use the data and findings from the expedition to shine a light on these extraordinary ecosystems and push policymakers to establish marine protected areas, and support a moratorium on deep sea mining."
Dr. Julio A Diaz, Deep-Sea Researcher, Museum of Evolution, Uppsala University said: "We barely understand how these communities function, which environmental factors influence their distribution, or how sensitive they are to human disturbances. Likewise, our discovery of several sponge species that are potentially new to science highlights how little is known about Arctic ecosystems. Through the results of this expedition, we expect to advance scientific knowledge of these key deep-sea ecosystems and contribute to their improved management and conservation."
Dr. Paco Cárdenas, Deep-Sea Sponge Expert, Museum of Evolution, Uppsala University said: "Amongst the more than 400 sponge samples collected, we have already singled out at least three potential new species during this expedition. Sponges have been around for more than 500 millions years, and have evolved their own medicines to repel predators and pathogens. So the chemical compounds of the deep-sea species we find here could also hold the key to unlock cures for current and future emerging diseases. If these ecosystems disappear we risk losing them forever."
Dr. Anne-Nina Lörz, Senckenberg Society For Nature Research said:
"These ecosystems keep on surprising us. We have filmed and gathered samples from an unnamed seamount never explored by humans before. Numerous different species and ecosystems - such as bamboo coral and sponge gardens - were filmed in high resolution for the first time, giving details much sought for by the global research community. For the first time we could see how these colourful animals live and interact, and the coming analysis will allow an insight in the connectivity and distribution of these amazing critters. We most likely already found four new species of amphipods, which we will describe and name in the upcoming months".
Dr. Jenny Neuhaus, Senckenberg Society For Nature Research said:
"It is astonishing to see how Arctic deep-sea habitats, like hydrothermal vent systems and seamounts, serve as biodiversity hotspots and act as 'stepping stones' for species to spread across. I have studied the diversity and connectivity of deep-sea invertebrates for years and am confident that our biological samples collected during this expedition will not only reveal new species to science, but also aid with closing knowledge gaps in our understanding of their ecology and distribution. There are clear concerns about how activities like deep-sea mining could permanently damage these slow-growing ecosystems before we even fully understand them, and their importance to us all."
Dr. Sergi Taboada, National Museum of Natural Sciences, Madrid said: "This expedition is unique because it has allowed us to explore and sample from several seamounts across the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge, a region that has been barely studied from a genetic connectivity point of view. The samples we have collected, together with those collected by other researchers in other areas, will be analysed genetically, which will allow us to identify how populations of sponges are connected. This aspect is crucial in order to design future Marine Protected Areas."
Dr. Anne Helene Tandberg, University in Bergen said: "This expedition has surveyed and visualised vulnerable ecosystems that could be up for protection under the Norwegian ocean law. While scientific publications by their nature take a long time to come out, results from this, and previous expeditions to this area show that these areas are both vulnerable and biologically valuable. We will publish our results of new species and descriptions of the ecosystems together with our research colleagues. I hope the information about these ecosystems will then make its way into the Norwegian management system."
Greenpeace hopes that the attention and new findings will be an important part of the puzzle in establishing marine protected areas in the Arctic.
Greenpeace is campaigning globally for a moratorium on deep-sea mining and to protect at least 30% of the ocean by 2030.
