CANBERRA, June 11 (Xinhua) -- Scientists have identified at least 149 previously unknown marine species in deep-sea waters surrounding Australia's remote Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands, following research voyages conducted in 2021 and 2022.

The discoveries, announced this week, are based on more than 1,000 specimens collected from 22 underwater mountains at depths of up to 5,000 meters during expeditions aboard the research vessel Investigator, according to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Australia's national science agency.

Newly catalogued species include sea stars, deep-sea worms, sea cucumbers, barnacles and fish, said scientists from Museums Victoria, CSIRO and Australian Museum.

One notable find, a tiny tube-dwelling annelid worm discovered at nearly 5,000 meters, is among the deepest species identified during more than 100 voyages by the vessel.

"Somehow these animals managed to calcify and maintain their tube despite this high pressure in the abyss," Elena Kupriyanova, a deep-sea worm researcher and voyage crew member, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Researchers said the findings challenge assumptions that seamount ecosystems are isolated, suggesting instead that they function as interconnected "stepping stones" for marine life.

More than 1,000 shark teeth from living and extinct species -- some dating back 33-22 million years -- were also collected, underscoring the ocean's vast diversity and the need for protection, according to a CSIRO statement.

Scientists said the findings are critical to addressing human impacts in the region, including climate change and overfishing.