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Deepest Chemosynthetic Ecosystems Discovered More Than 31,000 Feet Below Pacific Surface
Researchers using a submersible discovered thriving tubeworms and mollusks at depths over 31,000 feet in the northwest Pacific Ocean trenches.
This finding expands on earlier explorations and calls into question previously held beliefs about the possibility of life existing in the deepest parts of the ocean.
The creatures live in total darkness and survive by harnessing chemical reactions from carbon and methane seeping through ocean floor cracks.
Julie Huber stated, "Look how many there are, look how deep they are," emphasizing the extensive communities revealed by the study published Wednesday in Nature.
The findings suggest deep-sea ecosystems based on chemosynthesis may be more widespread, prompting future research on organism adaptation and raising concerns about deep-sea mining impacts.