The hunt for 100,000 new species in the world's waters

Earth’s oceans are as alien to us as distant moons in the solar system. Scientists have recently explored the “twilight zone” and the mesophotic zone directly above it, finding colorful fish and pristine coral reefs. Now, technological innovations are helping scientists unlock this little explored deep-sea ecosystem. An ambitious project called Ocean Census seeks to find 100,000 unknown species over the next 10 years. Scientists warn that the climate crisis could reduce twilight zone species by between 20% and 40% before the end of the century, and if greenhouse gas emissions aren’t curbed, recovery could take thousands of years. See some of the other species at risk of disappearing due to the climate crisis.