MEER Scientists Uncover 7,000 Microbial Types in Challenger Deep, With 89% Previously Unknown
Updated
Updated · Earth.com · Jun 9
MEER Scientists Uncover 7,000 Microbial Types in Challenger Deep, With 89% Previously Unknown
1 articles · Updated · Earth.com · Jun 9
Summary
More than 7,000 microbial species were identified in the Challenger Deep, nearly 36,100 feet down, and 89% had never been described before, giving scientists one of the clearest looks yet at life in the hadal zone.
Genetic analysis showed no single survival blueprint: some microbes carry stripped-down genomes for essential functions, while others have larger, flexible genomes, including genes that let them feed on scarce compounds such as carbon monoxide.
Three linked Science studies also found pressure-adaptation clues in larger animals, including bacteria in amphipod stomachs that may help produce the protective compound TMAO and a shared genetic change in deep-living fish below about 9,800 feet.
Fendouzhe, a Chinese submersible able to reach the ocean's deepest waters, collected hundreds of samples across dozens of Mariana Trench dives in 2021, enabling the survey that researchers said significantly advances deep-sea biology.
The work suggests deep trenches may have served as ecological refuges during past mass environmental shifts, while also underscoring how little is known: researchers say about 80% of the global hadal zone remains unexplored.
Earth’s deepest microbes can eat pollutants, but can they clean up the plastic trash found right next to them?
Ancient life has hidden in deep-sea trenches for millions of years. Could this be where all life began?
The deep sea holds potential cures for diseases, but who will own these discoveries found in international waters?
Unprecedented Discovery: 7,564 New Species-Level Genomes from the Mariana Trench Transform Deep-Sea Science and Biotechnology
Overview
From August to November 2021, the Mariana Trench Environment and Ecology Research (MEER) project brought together leading Chinese institutions to systematically explore the hadal zone of the Mariana Trench. This region is crucial for science, as about 80% of it remains unexplored and may hold vital clues about the origins of life. According to researchers, these deep-sea areas could contain extraordinary life forms uniquely adapted to extreme conditions. Each expedition into these depths not only expands our understanding of oceanic life but also brings these mysterious environments into the spotlight of scientific research.