New marine life found in Philippines

The colourful creatures in the pictures are some of the new marine life, discovered in the Celebes Sea off Tawi-Tawi, Philippines. Dr Larry Madin, of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts and his team discovered these creatures during the Inner Space Speciation Project, when they explored one of the world's deepest ocean basins in search of organisms isolated there for million yeras.


Dr Madin and his team of more than two dozen scientists explored the deep ocean, to a depth of 2,800m (9,186ft) using a remotely operated camera. They collected about 100 different specimens, including species possibly never discovered before.

The more outstanding specimens include a transparent sea cucumber that swims by bending its elongated body and a jet-black jellyfish. One of the most striking creatures found was a spiny orange worm armed with ten squid-like tentacles.

Within a few weeks, scientists will determine whether the collected specimens were newly discovered. Link