In a large watery desert, a team of 'aquanauts' has found a place where deep ocean life can thrive.
A recent submarine mission around a deepwater seamount in the archipelago has shown a new type of thriving environment.
The trapping zone is a world where large fish congregate to feast on small organisms.
Micronekton are similar to zooplankton in that they are between 2 and 20 centimeters in size.
The tiny organisms swim between the surface of the ocean and waters a kilometer deep, creating a vertical wave of migration each day and night.
The deep waters of the Maldives, a chain of 26 coral atolls, are the first study to be mapped.
The mission is a partnership between a non-profit research institute and the University of Oxford.
The international team stumbled on a new eco system around the 'Satho Rahaa' deep-sea mountain.
The organisms begin to swim as the sun rises. Micronekton can't dive deeper than 500 meters near the sunken seamount due to submerged volcanic ridges.
The animals become "sitting ducks" for larger fish, such as schools of tuna, hungry sharks, and other deepwater fish, which live in the zone.
The Omega Seamaster II, a glass bubble submarine, was used on the mission to watch as a lot of predator and prey battled it out in the deepest part of the ocean.
The team counted a lot of fish and saw a lot of different types.
What is happening with this? Lucy Woodall is a marine scientist from the University of Oxford.
We will be able to understand the deep ocean in a better way.
It's likely to be found on other islands with similar underwater structures if there is one in theMaldives.
Seamounts and submerged volcanoes may be the best places to find deep-sea life.
Some estimate that the largest mass migration on the planet is the vertical movement of fish through the water column.
The leader of the pack seem to be zooplankton. Our understanding of zooplankton's migratory behavior is much better than that of micronekton.
Micronekton swim up and down the water column in order to create a food web for the ocean. All of the micronekton in the world are 45 times heavier than us humans.
The majority of what we know of these creatures is from the 1960's and 1970s. They received more attention recently.
Micronekton are not hunted because they are easy to slip through fishing nets. Many species in the fishing industry depend on micronekton.
Scientists can get to know these overlooked organisms in a whole new way thanks to the trapping zone found in the Maldives.
Alex Rogers is a marine Biologist from the University of Oxford.
It is highly likely that the Trapping Zone will be found in other islands and on the slopes of the world.
According to recent climate reports, some micronekton in some parts of the world are not doing as well as they could in the face of global warming.
Other animals are likely to follow if they disappear.
You can find more information about the mission here.
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