The name “gummy squirrel” seems more fitting for a dangerously delicious confection dreamt up by Willy Wonka, but you may be surprised to learn it is actually a sea cucumber found in the deep ocean. While its name is inspired by its resemblance to gummy candy, to me, this weirdo looks a bit more like a banana-shaped Runt that didn’t pass quality control. Sweet looks aside, this sea cucumber is a fascinating creature only found hidden in the deep ocean. 

The gummy squirrel is about two feet long—large for a sea cucumber, which is typically four to 12 inches in length. Under its bright yellow topside, it has a beautiful bouquet of 18 feeding palps, or “lips,” that help it ingest nutrient-rich detritus that sinks to the ocean floor. The big tail that inspired the “squirrel” part of its name functions like a sail on a boat, helping it to hitch a ride on currents to new parts of the ocean floor with more food to eat. 

Scientists first discovered the gummy squirrel in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, a large stretch of the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Mexico. This area is hard to explore because it is located approximately 16,000 feet below sea level. We are only just beginning to have the tools to explore deep-ocean areas such as this. The gummy squirrel is just one of many deep-sea mysteries we have recently had the chance to meet. In 202,a team of scientists found more than 5,000 new species in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, proving there is so much more we have to learn about this region of our ocean. 

Yet even this remote zone of the ocean is facing a new threat from industry: deep-sea mining. 

Deep-sea mining is the practice of removing mineral deposits from the ocean floor at depths below 200 meters. Interest in this type of mining is rapidly growing all over the world, and we must act quickly to protect gummy squirrels and all the mysterious creatures we have yet to discover. Seabed mining would deploy massive machines down into these deep-sea habitats that would destroy these incredible ocean ecosystems that have developed over tens of millions of years to survive extreme pressure, darkness and incredibly tough conditions. We could see environmental destruction akin to mountaintop coal removal, wiping out entire habitats and species.

If we don’t act now, we could lose wildlife we haven’t even had the chance to meet yet! Imagine how much duller our lives would be without the joy of discovering deep-sea darlings like the gummy squirrel, vampire squid or dumbo octopus. We have an historic opportunity to prevent an environmental disaster before it even starts. Take action to halt seabed mining in its tracks.