UO researchers discovery of new ocean worms highlights threats [Video]

The many unique species of ribbon worms could have potential medical uses, if researchers can find them before they go extinct.

PORTLAND, Ore. —

Typically, the discovery of a new species is something special, as a new kind of plant or animal enters the annals of science. So, you’d think when 11 new species of ocean worm were discovered all at once, it would be cause for celebration.

For Svetlana Maslakova, it was just another day in the lab.

“This is about the least amount of discovery we’ve done in recent years,” said Maslakova, a biology professor at the University of Oregon and a leading expert on ribbon worms, also known as nemerteans. “We find hundreds of new species all the time.”

And while these new species may not be groundbreaking, they demonstrate how much is yet to be discovered in our oceans.

“It just emphasizes just how much there is still to learn about marine biodiversity,” Maslakova …