There is an almost complete absence of published, databased benthic species records from the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), despite over 30 years of intensive oceanographic and geological research in the area. Here illustrated as an example are the current species records for a 300,000 km2 (5°) box centred on the North Sea and Eastern Channel in Europe, where the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS 2016) provides 182,939 records of polychaetes, a common benthic animal in all oceans. By contrast, the same size box centered on the eastern CCZ provides just 4 polychaete records, none of which are benthic.

  
  Part of: Glover A, Dahlgren T, Taboada S, Paterson G, Wiklund H, Waeschenbach A, Cobley A, Martínez P, Kaiser S, Schnurr S, Khodami S, Raschka U, Kersken D, Stuckas H, Menot L, Bonifacio P, Vanreusel A, Macheriotou L, Cunha M, Hilário A, Rodrigues C, Colaço A, Ribeiro P, Błażewicz M, Gooday A, Jones D, Billett D, Goineau A, Amon D, Smith C, Patel T, McQuaid K, Spickermann R, Brager S (2016) The London Workshop on the Biogeography and Connectivity of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. Research Ideas and Outcomes 2: e10528. https://doi.org/10.3897/rio.2.e10528