Beneath the Surface
20 new species and counting
...continued from page 4
Newly discovered species
The divers discovered what they believe to be a previously unknown family of kelp in the same area. Scientists usually discover a new species of an organism, or maybe a new genus. But to discover a new family is, according to Jewett and algae expert Lindeberg, a very big deal.
The new kelp is called golden V. It was found in only two places in the region of the hydrothermal vents, each an area of about 100 square yards, although the divers spent most of a day circumnavigating Kagamil Island looking for more.
"There is a possibility that there is a correlation between the golden V kelp and the chemical constituency of the water near Kagamil Island, but we don't know yet," said Jewett.
20 new species and counting
Over the course of two summers and 440 dives, the scientists who surveyed the nearshore region of the Aleutian Islands discovered at least 20 new species. As the samples collected during the dives continue to be analyzed, scientists expect that even more species will be discovered.
Roger Clark, a marine taxonomist and consultant, is currently sorting and describing the new species. Complete scientific results from the dives are expected in 2009.