A recent expedition to the hadal zone, the deepest part of the world’s oceans, revealed a vast array of thriving microorganism communities. The research team used a manned submersible to dive over 31,000 feet below sea level and found entire miles-long communities living without sunlight. The team identified 7,564 species of prokaryotic microorganisms, with 89% of them being previously unseen.
These microbes are sustained by hydrogen sulfide- and methane-rich fluids in the deep sediment layers of trenches. Despite being in one of Earth’s least explored environments, life is surprisingly diverse in these areas, rivaling that of the rest of the known marine world.
For scientists, this discovery has significant implications for our understanding of life at extreme limits and carbon cycling in the deep ocean. “Given geological similarities with other hadal trenches,” the authors wrote, “these chemosynthesis-based communities might be more widespread than previously anticipated.”
The experience was described by researcher Mengran Du as “extraordinary” and “like traveling through time.” The team’s findings are expected to have far-reaching impacts on biotechnology, medicine, and energy, potentially providing new resources for solving global biological resource dilemmas.
Source: https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a65594783/hidden-world-new-life-forms