Cited research: Proc. R. Soc. B doi:10.1098/rspb.2010.0462 (2010)

Submarine canyons are widespread in the deep ocean, but little is known about the life that they support. Fabio De Leo at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu and his team report that the floor of the Kaikoura Canyon off the coast of New Zealand sustains a huge population of invertebrates (a sampling pictured).

The biomass that the authors collected in grab samples and trawls was 100 times greater than any reported previously for habitats more than 500 metres below the sea surface that are not fed by hydrothermal vents. The team also detected large numbers of rattail fish, which are probably feeding on these invertebrates.

Deep-sea canyons are potential hot spots for bottom-dwelling organisms, and thus could provide fish with feeding grounds.

Credit: NOAA/NIWA