Scientists discover nine new deep-sea sponge species off Alaska

NOAA announced the discovery of nine previously unknown sponge species in the Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Islands, expanding the region's known marine biodiversity as scientists warn that bottom trawling and proposed seafloor mining threate

First covered Sep 14, 2026 · 4:30 AM PT · 1 article · no longer in the live window

Scientists discover nine new deep-sea sponge species off Alaska — Image via theguardian.com

Coverage

12d Guardian Environment 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…

Primary sources

fisheries.noaa.gov Cancer Fighting Green Sponge Brings More Just Good Luck (fisheries.noaa.gov)

More coverage from around the web

fisheries.noaa.gov Discovering Deep-Sea Sponges in Alaska | NOAA Fisheries

fisheries.noaa.gov Multi-Year Effort To Observe Seafloor Habitats And Learn More About Deep-sea Corals And Sponges In Alaska | NOAA Fisheries

fisheries.noaa.gov NOAA Launches New Season of Discovery in Alaska’s Deep-Sea Coral and Sponge Ecosystems | NOAA Fisheries

deepseacoraldata.noaa.gov Publications | Deep-Sea Coral Portal

fisheries.noaa.gov Deep-Sea Corals and Sponge Research in Alaska | NOAA Fisheries

Appeared in: 2026-09-14 (#15)

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