First locally-led deep-sea expedition finds 20 suspected new species off Trinidad and Tobago

Marine scientists from Trinidad and Tobago conducted a month-long deep-sea survey that discovered 25 cold-seep ecosystems, 20 suspected new species including corals and carnivorous sponges, and at least 54 species never before observed in local waters, while mapping over 4,300 square miles of uncharted seafloor and collecting 700 specimens for the University of the West Indies museum.

The article notes that human-made trash was also found at these depths, indicating that deep-sea ecosystems are not isolated from human impact.