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Ancient glass sponges. A Barbie-pink sea pig sauntering along the seafloor. A transparent unicumber hovering in the depths.

These wonders are just an initial snapshot of fantastic creatures discovered 1,640 miles (5,000 meters) beneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean in a pristine area that’s earmarked as a site for deep-sea mining of critical and rare metals. The natural resources are in high demand for use in solar panels, electric car batteries and other green technologies, among other uses.

The 45-day expedition to the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, which wrapped March 20, documented biodiversity in the abyssal plain. Using a remotely operated vehicle, the team on board the UK research ship James Cook photographed the deep-sea life and took samples for future study.

US told Iran it had no involvement or advance knowledge of consulate strike in Syria, US official saysArlette Saenz, CNNApril 2, 2024 at 5:16 AM Louai Beshara/AFP/Getty ImagesThe United States told Iran it was not involved and had no advance knowledge of Monday’s strike on an Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, a US official said.The communication comes amid concern about the war between Israel and Hamas widening to a broader regional conflict. Iran has vowed retaliation after a strike it blamed on Israel killed two of its top commanders and five others at its consulate in Syria.“The United States had…