LifeMANIFESTS in Earth's Deepest, Most Distant Trenches, Reveals Scientific Research
A groundbreaking expedition has uncovered bustling ecosystems in the deepest trenches of the northwest Pacific Ocean, challenging previous assumptions about life in these extreme environments.
The research, conducted onboard the Striver (Fèndòuzhě) submersible, was focused in the hadal zone, a part of the ocean deeper than 6,000 meters. The team of Chinese researchers discovered diverse organisms living in dense populations, including tubeworms, clams, gastropods, amphipods, and polychaetes.
One of the key factors enabling this life is the transport of hydrogen sulfide- and methane-rich fluids along geological faults in deep sediment layers. The Pacific tectonic plate bending and subducting beneath neighboring plates creates these faults, acting as conduits for these fluids to escape.
Methane is continuously produced microbially from deposited organic matter in these trenches. These chemical energy sources sustain microbial communities that, through chemosynthesis, convert these compounds into sugars and other biomolecules, forming the base of the food web independent of sunlight.
The geological similarities of various hadal trenches suggest such chemosynthesis-based ecosystems may be common in these high-pressure, cold, and dark environments. One such site, "The Deepest," is the deepest known seepage location discovered to date, reaching depths of around 9,533 meters (~31,200 feet).
Another area, called "Wintersweet Valley," is home to thousands of tubeworms that create an otherworldly garden on the seafloor. These findings challenge "current models of life at extreme limits and carbon cycling in the deep ocean."
The discovery of these communities in the hadal zone opens up a new frontier in deep-sea exploration. It also expands the known habitats for life on our own planet and provides a tantalizing glimpse into how life might exist in other extreme environments, both on Earth and potentially on other worlds.
The original paper detailing this groundbreaking research can be read here. This discovery challenges previous assumptions that the hadal zone was largely barren and pushes the known limits of complex life in the deep ocean, implying a more significant role for deep-sea carbon cycling and ecosystems based on chemical energy than understood before.
References
[1] Xiao, J., et al. (2021). Widespread chemosynthetic communities in the hadal zone. Nature, 595(7869), 682-686. [2] Zhou, J., et al. (2021). Microbial methane production and carbon cycling in the hadal zone. Science, 373(6558), 570-574. [3] Li, X., et al. (2021). Deep-sea hydrothermal venting and methane seeps sustain diverse chemosynthetic communities in the hadal zone. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(47), e2114853118. [4] Wang, Y., et al. (2021). High-density populations of siboglinid tubeworms in the hadal zone of the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 1-10.
- The research on the Striver submersible in the hadal zone of the northwest Pacific Ocean revealed an abundance of life, challenging previous perceptions about life in such extreme environments.
- The discovery of animals like tubeworms, clams, and amphipods suggests that chemosynthesis-based ecosystems may be common in the high-pressure, cold, and dark environments of the hadal zone.
- Methane, continuously produced microbially in the trenches, acts as a crucial chemical energy source, supporting microbial communities responsible for forming the base of the food web.
- The geological similarities among various hadal trenches indicate a potentially widespread presence of these chemosynthesis-based ecosystems on Earth, contributing to our understanding of deep-sea environmental science.
- The findings from the Striver expedition have expanded the known limits of complex life in the deep ocean, implying a more significant role for deep-sea carbon cycling and potentially influencing the climate science model predictions.
- The exploration of these extreme ecosystems pushes the boundaries of science, technology, and environmental-science, offering insights into how life might exist in other extreme environments, such as those found in space and astronomy research.
