Manganese nodules as breeding ground for deep-sea octopods
Manganese nodules on the seabed are an important breeding ground for deep-sea octopods in some regions of the Pacific Ocean. As reported by a German-American team of scientists in the journal Current Biology, the octopods deposit their eggs onto sponges that only grow locally on manganese nodules. Deborah Eason, assistant researcher in the Department of Geology and Geophysics and study co-author, first observed the previously unknown octopod species during diving expeditions near Hawaii. In areas off the coast of Peru, their specific dependence on manganese nodules for brooding eggs shows that the industrial extraction of resources in the deep sea must be preceded by thorough investigations into the ecological consequences of such actions.
Based on the observations of this Hawaiian Casper octopod and 28 additional observations of similar octopods made elsewhere in the Pacific, the newly published study reveals new knowledge about life in the deep sea and the ecological significance of the manganese nodules.
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