In at the deep end

Scientists have collected samples of rare creatures and evidence of more than 10 possible new species following a trip that has "revolutionised" understanding of deep sea life in the Atlantic Ocean. The team from the University of Aberdeen is working on an international Census of Marine Life, focusing on the ecology of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It postulates that one group of creatures captured during the six-week voyage could be close to the evolutionary "missing link" between vertebrates and invertebrates.