Scientists have discovered a new ecosystem in the Indian Ocean

In normal environments,  micro-nekton will travel up from the deep sea to feed on zooplankton during the night in a process known as vertical migration. At the first sign of dawn, they swim back into the ocean depths for safety.

But the steep vertical cliffs and fossilised coral reefs scattered along the volcanic subsea strata of the Indian Ocean are preventing micro-nekton from going any deeper.

As a result, they become trapped at the 500-metre mark, allowing larger predators like sharks and tuna to take advantage of their vulnerability. I guess you could say The Trapping Zone is something like an all-you-can-eat buffet for larger marine animals.

The Nekton Maldives Mission report documented sightings of numerous shark species present during their dive. This included tiger sharks, six-gill sharks, sand tiger sharks, dogfish, gulper sharks, scalloped hammerhead sharks, silky sharks and the extremely rare bramble shark.

Professor Alex Rogers, who was aboard the Maldives Nekton mission, said that The Trapping Zone ‘has all the hallmarks of a distinct new ecosystem.’ He is also confident that similar environments could exist near other islands and continental slopes.

Further research is needed to uncover more about this unique environment, but scientists have already recorded hours of video, collected various biological samples, and conducted extensive sonar mapping of the area.

The discovery has been deemed ‘hugely significant’ for the Maldives government as it suggests that their dedicated conservation efforts are paying off.

The hope is that an increased understanding of the new ecosystem will bolster strategies for preserving ocean health and mitigating the climate crisis.