Blog authored by DSCC Executive Director, Sian Owen
On World Ocean Day 2024, we launched an opportunity for our community to help name a new- to-science deep-sea coral.
On October 30th, at the 16th Conference of Parties for the Convention for Biological Diversity (CBD COP-16) we were thrilled to announce that an expert judging panel selected “Golden Labyrinth” as the winning entry. The name was submitted by Elizabeth Moore from the US and has since been latinized to the scientific Thouarella aureolabyrinthea.
The judging panel comprised Dr Michelle Taylor (University of Essex); Dr Jan Steger (Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance (SOSA)); Bibiana Nassongole (PhD Student, University of Aveiro); and Professor Louise Allcock (University of Galway). The panel spent several hours deliberating the numerous entries submitted, deciding in the end to select a name that reflected the morphological (form and structure) features of the coral, which was a golden yellow color, standing about 11cm tall and covered in hundreds of tiny, cylinder-shaped polyps.
In her entry, Elizabeth sought to convey the full value of coral as a whole as well as the unique features of this specific species:
“The polyps reminded me of the Greek key symbol seen in so many ancient friezes and of the endless branching and turning of labyrinths. Labyrinths have a sense of mystery, as do deep ocean habitats. Labyrinths also have a sense of the holy, the sacred, which we must extend to the wild places and wildlife with which we share our world. Gold has correlations with great value, with riches and treasures. We also associate gold with a sense of longevity, of perpetuity, for it has been precious to humankind for millennia. So too must we hold our companions on Planet Ocean. With deep-sea habitats at risk from trawling, oil, gas, and mineral extraction, pollution, and the combined impacts of climate change, the need to protect the seabed and the waters above it, is more than important; it is imperative.”
Dr Taylor discovered Thouarella aureolabyrinthea on Melville Bank seamount in the southwest Indian Ocean. It is currently undergoing taxonomic description at the SOSA Discovery Unit in Germany. This time-consuming process involves gathering data to accurately describe the features of the coral through high-resolution photography of all the microscopic features and, in some cases, molecular analysis of the DNA. Dr Taylor and her team will use the data from SOSA to publish the evidence that Thouarella aureolabyrinthea is a new species.
Taxonomic description is an important process as species are being driven to extinction before they have been formally identified and named. It is a crucial aspect of protecting biodiversity. Without accurate scientific names and descriptions, species remain unknown and therefore much less likely to be protected.
With COP-16 just concluded, it is important to bring awareness to the often out-of-sight-out-of-mind deep ocean. The deep sea is the largest biome on Earth, home to as many as ten million species. Every exploratory journey to the deep returns with new discoveries, revealing creatures that are uniquely adapted to life far below the waves. This competition highlights how much there is still to discover in the deep sea, and how important it is to protect it.
Upon receiving this exciting news, Elizabeth said: “During my marine conservation career with NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary System, I was always fascinated by, and loved communicating about, the amazing wonders our scientists found on research expeditions, whether they were unknown octopus nurseries, new species of fish and invertebrates, missing shipwrecks, or undiscovered stands of deep sea corals. I left NOAA after a long and satisfying career to focus on my writing but I am still sharing and advocating for our ocean!
When I saw the contest about naming the new coral, I thought it would be fun to enter. I never expected to win but what an honor! Deep corals are still so mysterious; I think most people believe coral only occurs in shallow warm waters. I’m thrilled to be a small part of sharing this discovery with the world.”