The discovery was made by a group of international researchers, among them members of the Oceana organisation, and published in the Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom.
Examples of the new species, named Sympagella delauzei, were found in the Gorges of Corsica as well as other seamounts in the Mediterranean and Atlantic.
Researchers also believe the new species could be found in other parts of the world, such as Africa and Macronesia.
Ricardo Aguilar, head of research for Oceana and co-author of the study, said: “These findings, along with the revision of species of glass sponges of the Mediterranean, show us that we must keep the sea in mind when looking to protect aggregations of sponges. Previous studies have demonstrated that the glass sponges are a major source of silicon, one of the basic nutrients for the oceans.”
According to a press release from Oceana, it has always been believed that the Mediterranean was not a sea conducive to hosting glass sponges as they prefer cold waters.
“In the Mediterranean, even in the deepest parts, water temperatures only ever reach 13 degrees Celsius. However, as this discovery proves, this sea really keeps lots of secrets and surprises.”
The project, spearheaded by sponge specialist Nicole Boury-Esnault, was a joint collaboration between a group of researchers from the Mediterranean Institute for Marine and Coastal Biodiversity and Ecology of Marseille (France), the University of Victoria in British Columbia (Canada) and the Oceana organisation.