New coral species discovered on seabed prized for mining potential

New Black Coral species Alternatipathes venusta is seen in this handout photo from 2015 obtained by Reuters on October 28, 2020. NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration/Handout via REUTERS

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Three species of black coral have been discovered on the seabed of the northern Pacific Ocean, an area where several countries have contracts to explore for metals including cobalt and nickel as they race to find new supplies of the key battery elements.

The corals were discovered on deep seamounts and ridges in the mineral-rich Prime Crust Zone, which stretches from the Mariana Trench to the Hawaiian islands, according to a paper published in scientific journal Zootaxa on Thursday.