Lodgers on manganese nodules: Sponges promote a high diversity

Deep down in the ocean, valuable raw materials are stored, such as nodules of manganese. These resources could help meeting our increasing demand for rare metals. In addition to the nodules, there is another treasure down there: A complex ecosystem we barely understand. Researchers from Bremen and the Netherlands have discovered that sponges settling on the nodules provide a home for many other animals. Without nodules, diversity in these deep-sea regions would be significantly lower.

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Germany , Netherlands , Dutch , Pacific Ocean , Tanja Stratmann , Senckenberg Am Meer Institute In Wilhelmshaven , Max Planck Institute , Marine Microbiology , Meer Institute , Clarion Clipperton Zone , Biology , Biodiversity , Ecology Environment , Marine Freshwater Biology , Zoology Veterinary Science , ஜெர்மனி , நெதர்லாந்து , டச்சு , பெஸிஃபிக் கடல் , கடல் நுண்ணுயிரியல் , உயிரியல் ,