Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance - SOSA

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Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance - SOSA

Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance

SOSA is a project of that supports the discovery, conservation, and love of marine invertebrates!

23/07/2026

𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗢𝗡 𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗔𝗟: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽-𝘀𝗲𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹-𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗻𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀.
4,000 meters down in the Pacific Ocean’s Clarion–Clipperton Zone, 𝘋𝘦𝘭𝘵𝘰𝘤𝘺𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘴 𝘻𝘰𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘴 clings to a polymetallic nodule – a potato-sized rock packed with nickel, cobalt, and manganese.

This coral, whose name means “life on metal,” marks the first hard coral known to live directly on these nodules. But with deep-sea mining targeting these exact rocks, its home is at immediate risk.

Because nodules grow only a few millimeters over thousands of years, harvesting them won’t just destroy the coral’s habitat – it will eliminate any chance of recovery, potentially wiping out a unique species before we fully understand it.
—
𝗟𝗘𝗕𝗘𝗡 𝗔𝗨𝗙 𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗟: 𝗗𝗶𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗲𝗳𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲, 𝗱𝗶𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝗳 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗯𝘁.
In 4.000 Metern Tiefe in der Clarion-Clipperton-Zone des Pazifiks klammert sich 𝘋𝘦𝘭𝘵𝘰𝘤𝘺𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘴 𝘻𝘰𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘴 an eine Manganknolle – ein kartoffelgroßes Gestein voller Nickel, Kobalt und Mangan.

Ihr Name bedeutet „Leben auf Metall“ und steht für die erste bekannte Steinkoralle, die direkt auf diesen Knollen wächst. Doch da der Tiefsee-Bergbau genau auf diese Gesteine abzielt, ist ihr Lebensraum akut bedroht.

Da die Knollen nur wenige Millimeter pro Million Jahre wachsen, würde ihr Abbau nicht nur den Lebensraum der Koralle zerstören, sondern auch jede Chance auf eine Wiederbesiedlung zunichtemachen. Eine einzigartige Art könnte so verschwinden, noch bevor wir sie vollständig verstehen.

📌 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽-𝘀𝗲𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 – 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁! / 𝗛𝗶𝗹𝗳 𝗺𝗶𝘁, 𝗔𝘂𝗳𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗸𝗲𝗶𝘁 𝗳ü𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁ä𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗶𝗲𝗳𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘇𝘂 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗻 – 𝘁𝗲𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝗶𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗴!

📸: Guadalupe Bribiesca-Contreras, Nadia Santodomingo et al. (2025)

18/07/2026

𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗦𝗻𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀: 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲, 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Why?
Though both live exclusively in deep-sea hydrothermal vent ecosystems, the latest The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species update highlights a striking contrast between the future of these two molluscs.

𝗔𝗧 𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗞: 𝘕𝘦𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘶𝘢
🔴 Status: Critically Endangered | 📍Location: Longqi Vent Field, Southwest Indian Ridge

This specialized deep-sea limpet relies entirely on hydrothermal vents thousands of meters beneath the surface. But its home overlaps directly with deep-sea mineral exploration contracts. Because its habitat is so small and restricted, seabed mining puts this species at risk of extinction.

𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗧𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗗: 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘦𝘹𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘢
🟢 Status: Least Concern | 📍Location: Mariana Arc of Fire, Pacific Ocean

In stark contrast, 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘦𝘹𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘢 is not threatened by extinction. Why? The hydrothermal vent field it lives on is located within a Marine Protected Area (MPA) where deep-sea mining is strictly prohibited.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗬: These two species show that Marine Protected Areas aren’t just lines on a map, they are literal lifelines. For animals that live exclusively in habitats targeted for mining, they make all the difference when it comes to extinction risk. We also know that should the threat of deep-sea mining disappear, these vent-endemic species would no longer be threatened.

📸: © Chong CHEN Chong Chen
🗺️: Ann Pascale Christoph

10/07/2026

🐌 𝗡𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝟮/𝟯 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽-𝘀𝗲𝗮 𝗵𝘆𝗱𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗰𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
This newest The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species update adds 17 SOSA-supported assessments to the over 180 existing vent-endemic mollusc assessments. They reveal a stark reality for this group: 62% of these specialized species are at risk due to deep-sea mining. Snails like 𝙇𝙞𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙚𝙭 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙭 are now Critically Endangered as commercial interests target their fragile habitats 5,000 meters below sea level.

Next week, the future of the deep ocean will be debated at the International Seabed Authority (ISA) meeting in Jamaica. Our team will be on the ground in Kingston to bring these species‘ stories directly to decision-makers. We are calling for a precautionary pause – you cannot safely regulate an industry when the baseline data to prevent total extinction does not exist.

🇩🇪 🐌 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝟮/𝟯 𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗪𝗲𝗶𝗰𝗵𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗛𝘆𝗱𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗶𝗲𝗳𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘃𝗼𝗺 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗯𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗵𝘁.
Das neueste Update der The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species fügt den über 180 bestehenden Bewertungen von Weichtieren an Hydrothermalquellen 17 von SOSA unterstützte Analysen hinzu. Sie zeigen ein düsteres Bild für diese Gruppe: 62 % dieser spezialisierten Arten sind durch Tiefseebergbau gefährdet. Tiefseeschnecken wie 𝙇𝙞𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙚𝙭 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙭 gelten nun als vom Aussterben bedroht (Critically Endangered), da kommerzielle Interessen ihre fragilen Lebensräume in 5.000 Metern Tiefe bedrohen.

Nächste Woche wird bei der Tagung der Internationalen Meeresbodenbehörde (ISA) in Jamaika über die Zukunft der Tiefsee debattiert. Unser Team wird vor Ort in Kingston sein, um die Geschichten dieser Arten direkt zu den Entscheidungsträger*innen zu bringen. Wir fordern eine vorsorgliche Pause – denn man kann eine Industrie nicht sicher regulieren, wenn grundlegende Daten zur Vermeidung des Aussterbens von Arten komplett fehlen.

🔗 Link in Bio!

📸: © Chong CHEN Chong Chen

Thanks for assessing the 17 molluscs in the IUCN update!

09/07/2026

The latest IUCN Red List of Threatened Species update is out, and it highlights a crisis in the deep sea: 62% of hydrothermal vent-endemic molluscs are now threatened with extinction due to deep-sea mining.

The update adds 17 vent-endemic molluscs to the over 180 already assessed - giving us a unique view of an entire group of specialized species.

Unfortunately, for the vast majority of deep-sea invertebrates, we lack formal IUCN Red List assessments. SOSA is working through the Marine Invertebrate Red List Authority (MIRLA) to bridge that gap and make threats like deep-sea mining and its impact on species extinction visible.

A huge shout out to Derya Akdogan for assessing the newly added 17, and to Elin Thomas and Aoife Molloy for the previous assessment work!

Senckenberg

01/07/2026

To celebrate , we’re sharing one of our favorites! 🪱💚

Meet the mesmerizing 𝘗𝘩𝘺𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘥𝘰𝘤𝘦 worm in all its neon glory! Known as “𝗽𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘀,” they get their name from their distinctive, flattened dorsal cirri that look just like tiny oars. They also sport elongated tentacular cirri (flexible finger-like feelers) at the front and a jawless, eversible proboscis (a mouthpart that turns inside out) for feeding! Pretty impressive!

Speaking of celebrating bristle worms, the 𝟭𝟱𝘁𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 (𝗜𝗣𝗖𝟭𝟱) is happening this month! From 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟳–𝟯𝟭, researchers and students from around the globe will gather at Senckenberg in Frankfurt, Germany to share the latest in polychaete research. Learn more at the link in bio.

What’s your favorite polychaete? Let us know below! 👇

📷: © Patrick Beckers

25/06/2026

⭐️𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗲𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 ⭐️
We were honored to host Dr. Angela Stevenson, co-chair of the Specialist Group (MSSG)! Alongside co-chair Dr. Sophie George, she leads a global mission to protect sea stars, sea lilies, feather stars, and brittle stars. ✨

These vital species face massive threats – from climate change to habitat loss. Yet, out of thousands of species, 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝘄𝗼 are currently listed on the IUCN Red List (both Critically Endangered).

This data gap isn’t because other species are safe; it’s because they haven’t been assessed yet.

To change this, the MSSG – a network of 62 experts from 17 countries – is jumping into action! Partnering with SOSA’s Red List team, they are hosting two major workshops this summer to assess over 100 sea star species. 🌟

Angela Stevenson (but mostly Adoba & Maya)
School of Biological and Marine Sciences
GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel
Beaty Biodiversity Museum
University of British Columbia
Hakai Institute
Natural History Museum, London

01/06/2026

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 ! 🌊

When you think of a coral reef, you probably picture sun-drenched, colorful tropical waters. But did you know that over 𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗙 of the world’s coral species thrive in the pitch-black, icy depths of the deep sea? These cold-water corals are the unsung architects of the deep ocean. From Norway to Antarctica, they construct massive underwater landscapes up to 35 meters tall.

Instead of relying on sunlight and algae, they act as active hunters, filtering plankton from the rushing currents. Swipe through to meet a few of these incredible species and the unique animals that depend on them.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵:these slow-growing giants are incredibly fragile. Threats like bottom-trawl fishing threaten to wipe out thousands of years of growth in the blink of an eye. To protect them, we have to understand them. SOSA supported the first-ever assessments for 22 of these vital species – revealing that 1 is already Vulnerable to extinction and 8 are Near Threatened. This Reef Awareness Day, let’s make sure our love for reefs goes all the way to the bottom of the ocean.

Images/Videos: 1-4: NOAA; 5-6: Mareano Institute of Marine Research, CC-by-SA-4

29/05/2026

It’s , and we’re celebrating with the spectacular 𝙎𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙖 𝙟𝙪𝙣𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙖! 😍 Growing up to 154mm, this large, carnivorous gastropod rules the soft ocean floors of the Western Atlantic, 29-126 m below the surface.

Want to take this species for a spin? Click the 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗶𝗼 to check out this beauty and explore over 100 other 3D models from our collection! 🔗

Adresse

Senckenberganlage 25
Frankfurt
60325

Telefon

+496975421355

Webseite

http://sosa.senckenberg.de/, https://linktr.ee/oceanspecies

Benachrichtigungen

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