New species found in abundance at the depths of the ocean by scientists

Researchers Unearth Abundant New Marine Species at Bottommost Ocean Layers

In a series of groundbreaking findings, researchers from the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) have shed light on the exceptional diversity of the Earth's hadal zone, a marine region that extends from 6,000 to 11,000 meters below sea level. The investigations, published on March 6 in the journal Cell, are part of the Mariana Trench Environment and Ecology Research (MEER) project, which provides the "first systematic view of the ecosystem in the hadal zone."

The studies, which include three separate MEER studies, offer rare insight into a region once believed to be lifeless. Over 89% of the more than 7,000 microbial species documented in the samples were previously unknown, with the researchers observing "extraordinarily high novelty, diversity, and heterogeneity" in the hadal microbiome.

One of the studies details how amphipods may thrive in the extreme environments of the hadal zone thanks to a symbiotic relationship with bacteria. Another suggests that fish living deeper than 1.8 miles below sea level all have a genetic mutation that helps them mitigate the impact of the cold, pressure, and lack of sunlight.

The hadal zone, named after the Greek god of the underworld, Hades, features extreme pressure, near-freezing temperatures, low nutrient levels, and almost complete darkness. Despite these challenging conditions, the findings of the studies prove that life really does find a way in these extreme environments. The three studies suggest the existence of convergent adaptation strategies to hadal environments that transcend species boundaries and biological domains, with the hadal zone's extreme environment likely driving unrelated species to develop similar traits.

The encounter of human litter, including plastic bags, soda cans, beer bottles, and a laundry basket, in the hadal zone was reported by Science magazine. Weishu Zhao, an extremophile microbiologist at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, expressed shock at the discovery. Deep-sea microbes seem capable of processing some human contaminants, but this seems like a small consolation given humanity's footprint reaching the deepest regions of our oceans.

The commentary on the trio of studies was written by the researchers themselves, who highlight surprising diversity in one of the planet's most extreme environments. The MEER project, which uses the Chinese submersible Fendouzhe to collect hundreds of biological samples from the hadal zone in the Yap Trench, the Philippine Basin, and the Mariana Trench, continues to uncover the secrets of this little-known region of our planet.