In a landmark achievement, Chinese researchers have mapped the world's first comprehensive portrait of the ecosystem in the Mariana Trench, Earth's deepest oceanic realm, challenging long-held assumptions that such extreme environments are lifeless wastelands.The study, published in the journal Cell on Friday, reveals a thriving microbial and animal community adapted to crushing pressures, near-freezing temperatures and perpetual darkness, offering potential breakthroughs in biotechnology and environmental science.Using samples collected by China's domestically developed manned submersible Fendouzhe (Striver), which reached the trench's 11,000-meter depth in 2020, scientists analyzed over 1,600 microbial specimens and 11 fish species."We have identified 7,564 microbial species ...
with 89.4 percent previously unknown to science," Wang Jing, a researcher at Shanghai Jiao Tong University who is involved in the research, told China Media Group.
Such diversity rivals the total documented marine microbial life globally.The research highlights unique survival strategies among trench inhabitants.Microbes and fish were found to share antioxidant mechanisms to combat cellular damage caused by extreme pressure, a trait that could inspire new approaches to aging research and medical therapies."Antioxidants, like vitamin C or those in skincare products, protect cells," Wang said.
"These organisms' strategies might offer clues to enhancing human health."Additionally, certain microbes exhibit exceptional abilities to degrade complex pollutants, such as benzene compounds, raising hopes for innovative solutions to environmental cleanup.Genomic analysis of deep-sea fish uncovered another adaptation: elevated levels of specific fatty acids that stabilize cell membranes under high pressure.
The amphipod, a shrimp-like invertebrate, was found to possess genomes four times larger than humans', hinting at genetic complexity linked to survival in harsh conditions.To foster international collaboration, the team has established the world's first large-scale hadal microbial database, sharing data under the Mariana Consensus framework.(With input from Xinhua)