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When scientists see an unknown species during a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dive, they take the time to capture the best video possible of the animal in its natural habitat. If possible, they will also collect a sample of the animal with the ROV’s tools, so that they may better study the animal back in the laboratory.

Once scientists have a specimen, a taxonomic expert will be asked to carefully study the animal’s features to confirm that it is in fact an undescribed species. Several of MBARI’s own scientists are the recognized taxonomic experts in certain species. Other times, this expertise is found at other institutions. Scientists use both traditional “morphological” (shape-based) approaches to classifying organisms and newer molecular DNA analyses, which provide a different method for understanding how various species are related to one another. Such genomic techniques are especially useful for groups of animals that look very similar. DNA analyses have also shown that some animals that look similar are not closely related, but evolved similar traits independently.

After confirming that an organism is undescribed, the discovering scientists typically get to choose a species name. Sometimes researchers choose a Greek or Latin word that describes features that make the animal unique. Other times they may name the organism after a colleague who has contributed to the research, an important figure in the field, or occasionally a celebrity. Scientists writing the description cannot name the animal after themselves.
The researchers then send a specimen of the animal to the archives of a respected scientific institution, such as the Smithsonian Institution or the California Academy of Sciences, for permanent storage. Finally, the research team must publish a scientific paper describing key details about the organism’s morphology and/or DNA, how it is different from other related organisms, and how it fits into the “tree of life.”
Even as MBARI scientists and their taxonomy collaborators painstakingly analyze and describe more species, science cannot keep up with many animals newly encountered at sea. Scientists estimate hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of species in the ocean are yet to be discovered. Continued exploration and diligence will help bring more of these animals to light.
Video produced by Linda Kuhnz.

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