Scientists find nine new sponge species in glimpse of Alaska’s deep-sea diversity

But their habitat is threatened by bottom trawling in the region and Trump’s plan to expand seafloor mining Scientists have discovered nine new deep-sea sponge species off Alaska, offering new insights into the region’s largely unexplored marine biodiversity. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) announced the discovery on Thursday, saying the species were found in the Gulf of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. The findings bring the total number of known sponge species in Alaska to 232. Continue reading...

Maya Yang · Mon, Sep 14, 2026, 4:30 AM
US news | The Guardian

Scientists find nine new sponge species in glimpse of Alaska’s deep-sea diversity

But their habitat is threatened by bottom trawling in the region and Trump’s plan to expand seafloor mining

Scientists have discovered nine new deep-sea sponge species off Alaska, offering new insights into the region’s largely unexplored marine biodiversity.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) announced the discovery on Thursday, saying the species were found in the Gulf of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. The findings bring the total number of known sponge species in Alaska to 232.

This page shows an excerpt; reporting belongs to the original publisher. Some images or embeds may be omitted compared with the live article.