Environment News

New Marine Species 2026

August 31 , 2026 8 hrs 0 min 47 0

Scientists from Pune discovered two new species of microscopic marine organisms, Psammophaga holzmannae and Psammophaga sinhai, in the intertidal sediments along Maharashtra’s Konkan coast.
They are single-celled marine protists belonging to the genus Psammophaga, a group of benthic foraminifera.
They ingest microparticles and agglutinate sand grains to build protective shell-like structures called tests.
Foraminifera are found from shallow intertidal areas to deep ocean trenches and can indicate changes in salinity, temperature, heavy metals and ocean acidification.
Their fossilised shells are also used to reconstruct past ocean temperatures and sea-level changes.