It is estimated that only 1% of all seamounts have been mapped out so far. These ancient mountains that have formed on the ocean floor are teeming with life, offering a refuge for marine species at a time when climate change is rapidly warming the ocean. The Davidson Seamount, possibly one of the most explored, is covered by coral reefs and deep-sea octopus gardens, where tens of thousands of marine animals breed and feed, including whales. The most recent seamount discoveries were made in the southern Pacific, off the coast of Chile, revealing hundreds of never-before-seen species. Ethereal white sponge gardens that were thousands of feet long, flying spaghetti monsters (a type of colonial hydrozoan), casper octopuses, thousand-year-old glass sponges and towering forests of bamboo corals are just a few of the life forms found there. The expedition crew reported that the journey felt like one “through the cosmos”.
Read more about seamounts and the unique species that live there on Forbes.