Deep-Sea Biology Society
@dsbsoc.bsky.social
5.3K followers 415 following 298 posts
Official account of the Deep-Sea Biology Society | #DSBSoc A society for student, academic & professional #DeepSea biologists. 🌊 🔗 dsbsoc.org 💡 @dsbsoc-arts.bsky.social #DSBSocArts
![[Image: Photo of Hiba holding a gorgonian colony.]
"Hello, I’m Hiba, a marine scientist originally from Morocco. I am a PhD candidate at the University of Vigo, within the EcoAfrik research group. My research focuses on the biodiversity of gorgonians and combines taxonomic results with geomorphological, sedimentological and water-column data to characterize gorgonian communities and identify areas that may host Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems along the Moroccan continental margin.
My work relies on an extensive collection of gorgonians, currently curated at the University of Vigo, together with valuable faunal and environmental data gathered between 2004 and 2022 by the EcoAfrik Project research team (IEO–UVIGO) from both the Moroccan shelf and continental slope. These data and specimens come from surveys carried out within the framework of Spanish Moroccan scientific cooperation focused on the exploration of deepsea demersal resources, as well as from surveys conducted under the FAO CCLME and EAF-Nansen projects."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ckrzdo7lvgyidayr6adznflp/bafkreigkobpvova63bi4ahbzukdvljurt7roxqkzenr2a72hbkr45mkoii)
![[Image: Photo of Hiba in a lab coat examining a fragment of a gorgonian colony under a stereomicroscope.]
"To identify the gorgonians, I use traditional taxonomic methods. The taxonomic study follows the specific methodology for gorgonian identification: macro- and microscopic descriptions of colony morphology and sclerites; preparation of temporary and permanent sclerite slides; and, when required, SEM and micro-CT examination. Identifications are performed using taxonomic keys and specialized literature."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ckrzdo7lvgyidayr6adznflp/bafkreics6x4t435q4rwfcbq7ap3jkgrsn3qigumslxfa6innqbn2o5tfee)
![[Image: Photo of Hiba examining gorgonian sclerites under a compound microscope.]
"This thesis aims to contribute to scientific knowledge of Morocco’s benthic biodiversity and to support the conservation of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems. It is carried out within a broader context of North–South scientific cooperation, capacity development and knowledge exchange in deep-sea biodiversity research.""](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ckrzdo7lvgyidayr6adznflp/bafkreighc5umoyc5kbmm42qbwocb2hjecjmgcvuxu7tgnt3jrqtmtkwlxy)
![[Image: An image of the morphology of B. argentina, a small, dark-violet sea urchin, reaching ~2cm width & 1cm height (excl. spines)].
"The deep-sea accounts for more than 95% of the ocean’s volume, yet it remains the least explored habitat on Earth, hosting remarkable biodiversity & unique evolutionary processes. In a recent study, we describe Bathycidaris argentina, a new genus & species of cidaroid sea urchin from the SW Atlantic.
This work was led by Jonathan Flores (IBIOMAR–CONICET), in collaboration with Martín Brogger (IBIOMAR–CONICET) and Mariano Martinez (MACN–CONICET), and published in The Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. The species inhabits depths between 1,100 and 1,950m in the Mar del Plata Submarine Canyon. Its description is based on an integrative approach combining detailed morphological analyses with mitochondrial COI sequence data."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ckrzdo7lvgyidayr6adznflp/bafkreideg6n3s4tq7inb33otwf5qovuxewgcohxhormmjxsqtf46ako2wm)
![[Image: A split image of Jonathan Flores in a laboratory setting holding a sample of B. argentina in his gloved hand, and another close-up of B. argentina with the text: Bathycidaris argentina (Flores, Martinez & Brogger, 2026) at 1 cm scale. Jonathan has shoulder-length dark hair, a tee-shirt with the CONICET IBIOMAR logo and is grinning at the camera.]
"B. argentina is a small, dark-violet sea urchin, reaching ~2cm width & 1cm height (excl. spines). The name Bathycidaris derives from the Greek bathys (“deep”) & the traditional term cidaris for this group of sea urchins, while argentina honors the country where it was discovered. Beyond taxonomy, the study revealed key aspects of its biology. The species exhibits brooding behavior: females carry embryos around the mouth, protecting them with their spines until they are juveniles. Its spines also provide attachment surfaces for organisms such as sea cucumbers, polychaetes & hydrozoans, highlighting its ecological role as substrate in soft-bottom environments."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ckrzdo7lvgyidayr6adznflp/bafkreia3lyf54xpiw44zyavit5z5zgfu42wn4da6uzfrk6fbfk2564ea2y)
![[Image: Split images of B. argentina against a black background and an image of R/V Puerto Deseado.]
"Specimens were collected during the Talud Continental I–III expeditions (2012–2013) aboard R/V Puerto Deseado (CONICET). These surveys ID’d the Mar del Plata Submarine Canyon—~250 km offshore & extending to ~3,900m depth—a biodiversity hotspot shaped by complex oceanographic processes. Since 2012, numerous new species have been recorded from this region."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ckrzdo7lvgyidayr6adznflp/bafkreieuqzgzme7hhylkkt2jchg6h4h7mvbykvpvm35uji2g6mdgkkc64e)
![[Image: Split images of a rubber bin on a ship-deck containing several samples of B. argentina with other sea-life.]
"Genetic analyses indicate that relationships within family Ctenocidaridae are more complex than previously thought, underscoring a need for taxonomic revision. This discovery expands our understanding of deep-sea biodiversity & highlights the importance of conserving the Argentine continental slope as a reservoir of unique life."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ckrzdo7lvgyidayr6adznflp/bafkreictgpv7epgymhn2zsnskrreltnv5s5q7jfjcpyenhswicsohkinum)
![[Image: Crypthelia vascomarquesi fragment at 5 mm magnification.]
"It was the summer of 2012 when the #DEEPFUN cruise lead RV Thalassa with the ROV Victor 6000 to the Menez Gwen Marine Protected Area (MPA). The expedition aimed to explore unfamiliar ground, never seen before in the 70 ROV dives of previous expeditions on the #MPA, around the hydrothermal vent field. Crypth'Hill was found 5 km away from the vents, with a brand new coral garden discovered between 832 and 856 m depth.
This coral garden is unique because it is the first vulnerable marine ecosystem (VME) formed by the genus Crypthelia found in the world. It is also the 16th stylasterid coral garden reported for the deep sea."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ckrzdo7lvgyidayr6adznflp/bafkreig5cimpgmqmquuf4cmz6rxtxfnzqkt5gp6v5hitjfcshnjfoakree)
![[Image: Collage of Crypthelia vascomarquesi branches and corals at 0.01 cm and 1 cm.]
"Stylasterids have high endemism rates. This monospecific coral garden is formed by Crypthelia vascomarquesi, a species only known from the Portuguese archipelagos of Azores and Madeira. The first monospecific #VME formed by a stylasterid in the Azores covers at least 73 meters with a maximum density of 70 colonies per meter, and associated species of fish and marine invertebrates (other corals, sponges, fish and crabs).
The species C. vascomarquesi was named in honor of Vasco Monteiro Marques, a Portuguese biologist that during the 70/80s dove with Helmut Zibrowius, author of the species. Both had spotted the first Atlantic specimens of Corallium rubrum in Algarve."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ckrzdo7lvgyidayr6adznflp/bafkreibhke67m2fnrmo4k4muxzaor4i6qtsh5rxckdlvnmsavrjqsfndmi)
![[Image: Bathymetry map and dive locations of Menez’Gwen/Bubbylon coral-sites (bathymetry courtesy of MARUM) and a photograph of coral garden.]
"Specimens collected during #DEEPFUN cruise were crucial for the species identification, allowing the re-description of C. vascomarquesi with entire specimens, including females that have a unique ampullar formula for the genus.
This discovery has highlighted the natural heritage already protected from direct impacts inside Menez Gwen MPA. The VME is a rare record of highly endemic corals that should be included at the European habitat classification system to guarantee its conservation, scientific study and monitoring of the MPA. The discovery has been published recently at Marine Biodiversity."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ckrzdo7lvgyidayr6adznflp/bafkreiaev2357qgetkf3sby75clwm6fnmbkugal3z6x2hao3mpygdf4rai)
