'Hard Rock' in the deep sea—the road to deciphering biodiversity on the seabed is stonier than previously assumed

By means of hydroacoustic seafloor mapping Senckenberg and GEOMAR researchers have found out that the seafloor in the Atlantic Ocean is much more diverse than previously assumed. Up to now, biologists have assumed mostly monotonous sediment plains in the abyssal deep sea. In their study published today in the scientific journal PNAS, the scientists now show that a patchwork of rocky habitats and other hard substrates is to be expected in the Atlantic, which in some regions of this depth zone can make up 30 percent of the seabed. The diversity of habitats is expected to have direct impact on the local wildlife.

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