Stretching across 2,900 km in the southeastern Pacific Ocean are the Salas y Gómez and Nazca Ridges — two seamount chains that shape the region and its inhabitants. Due to unique underwater geography and ocean currents, this region is a diversity hotspot with the highest rate of endemic marine species on Earth. Home to Earth’s deepest light-dependent reefs, the seamounts provide crucial habitats and migratory routes for 82 threatened and endangered species, as well as a plethora of other wildlife, including many that have only recently been discovered by western science. The region is also culturally significant, as Indigenous Pacific Islanders and others have recognized its importance for centuries.

Recent research shows the ridges are home to some of the densest black coral gardens in the world. Black corals are the oldest living organisms on Earth, reaching upwards of 4,000 years of age, and populating depths as deep as 3,000m. These coral communities provide critical habitat for the unique and fragile species who call the Salas y Gómez and Nazca Ridges home. Over 120 species were documented in these deep-sea habitats, most of which are fragile and some of which occur nowhere else on Earth. New information is learned about this region almost every month, highlighting how little is known about the ocean, especially deep-sea ecosystems. Protecting the Salas y Gómez and Nazca Ridges is of critical importance in the campaign to preserve biodiversity. Increased research here is also important for furthering our understanding of the ocean and the way it supports life on Earth.