Nine new deep‑sea sponge species discovered off Alaska

Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Thursday the discovery of nine previously unknown deep‑sea sponge species in the Gulf of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. The find raises the total count of sponge species documented in Alaskan waters to 232, underscoring the region’s rich but still largely uncharted marine biodiversity. Researchers collected the specimens during a series of remotely operated vehicle surveys aimed at mapping the seafloor and assessing biological communities in the remote, cold‑water habitats.

The newly identified sponges inhabit areas increasingly jeopardized by human activities. Bottom‑trawling operations in the region disturb sediment and can damage fragile sponge communities, while a proposed expansion of seafloor mining under the Trump administration’s policy agenda threatens to further degrade these ecosystems. Conservationists warn that the loss of such habitats could erase critical scientific knowledge about deep‑sea life before it is fully understood.