Researchers at Hiroshima University have identified four new species of rhodoliths, living pink rocks formed by coralline algae, in deep waters off Tanegashima Island, Japan. These organisms store carbon in marine sediments over long timescales, making them a natural blue carbon resource. The study highlights how species composition shifts dramatically with depth, with only three of twelve species found in nearby shallow beds. Rhodolith beds are the largest seaweed habitat by area and support marine biodiversity while locking away carbon. The findings underscore the importance of deep-sea ecosystems in climate mitigation and call for further research to map their extent. Understanding these habitats could inform conservation and carbon accounting efforts.
