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Cross-posted from "Researchers discover new ocean predator in the Atacama Trench" by @skrlet13@feddit.cl in !chile@feddit.cl

Characterized by darkness and intense pressure, the ocean's hadal zone seems uninhabitable, yet dozens of unique organisms call it home. Each species discovered there adds a crucial piece to the puzzle of how life has evolved and even thrives in one of Earth's most extreme environments.

A new study published in Systematics and Biodiversity highlights one of those species—the newly named Dulcibella camanchaca. This crustacean is the first large, active predatory amphipod from these extreme depths. The species was discovered by scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and Instituto Milenio de Oceanografía (IMO) based at the Universidad de Concepción, Chile.

"Dulcibella camanchaca is a fast-swimming predator that we named after 'darkness' in the languages of the peoples from the Andes region to signify the deep, dark ocean from where it predates," explained the study's co-lead author, Dr. Johanna Weston, a hadal ecologist at WHOI.

At nearly 4 centimeters in length, this crustacean uses specialized raptorial appendages to capture and prey upon smaller amphipod species in the Atacama (Peru-Chile) Trench's food-limited realm. The trench stretches along the eastern South Pacific Ocean, plunging to depths exceeding 8,000 meters off the coast of northern Chile, and has long fascinated scientists.

I know this sub is about biodiversity but that is the mindblowing thing, the incredible diversity of minerals on earth (and my oh my the diversity is overwhelming) is a consequence of the incredible biodiversity of life, and it is not unlikely that it worked the other way too, a diversity of minerals may have been a formative part of the development of life.

A diversity of minerals/chemical may have facilitated the formation and diversification of life which fed back into the further diversification of minerals...

It suggests a beautiful perspective to understand ecosystems and the essential role of diversity for stability.

Summary

Five Hawaiian crows on Wednesday were released on Maui for the first time as part of an ongoing effort to return the species to its home, conservationists said.

The Hawaiian crows, or alala, were last found on Hawaii’s Big Island, but they went extinct in the wild in 2002, officials with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance said in a statement. The birds, described as intelligent and charismatic, are the last survivor of all the Hawaiian crow species. Habitat loss, predation and disease by introduced species are threats, among other factors.