Discovery: Biological oasis beyond light

A team of Chinese researchers has made an impressive discovery in the depths of the northwest Pacific, where sunlight does not penetrate and conditions are considered extreme for life. During a series of dives in the Kuril-Kamchatka and Aleutian trenches, scientists have identified thriving ecosystems made up of organisms that do not live on photosynthesis, but through a rare process: chemosynthesis, informs AFP. In a world where most beings rely on solar energy, these communities demonstrate a unique adaptation. Colorful tube worms and white clams draw their energy from fluids rich in methane and hydrogen sulfide, seeped from the depths of the oceanic crust.

• Ecosystems at abyssal depths

The ecosystems discovered are at impressive depths, the deepest being located 9,533 meters below sea level - deeper than the height of Mount Everest. According to experts, these communities are not only rare, but also amazingly diverse and abundant. "What makes our discovery revolutionary is not just the depth, but also the richness of life,” Mengran Du, an expert in marine geochemistry, told the journal Nature . She compared the communities to "vibrant oases in the desert of the deep sea.”

• Journey to the hadal zone

The research was carried out using the submersible Fendouzhe, one of the few vehicles capable of reaching the hadal zone, where the Earth's tectonic plates overlap in a geological process known as subduction. There, in the absolute darkness and cold, they identified the deepest and most extensive chemosynthetic communities known to date. The ecosystems are dominated by two types of organisms: 20-30 cm long tube worms and white clams up to 23 cm long. Some of them may represent as yet undescribed species.

• Life beyond Earth?

In addition to these chemical-feeding creatures, more familiar organisms such as sea anemones and sea cucumbers have also been observed, which rely on organic matter that has fallen from the upper ocean. This discovery also raises questions about the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Researchers believe that similar ecosystems could also exist in the oceans of other celestial bodies - where methane and hydrogen are present, such as the moons of Saturn or Jupiter.

• Exploring the extremes

The Kuril-Kamchatka and Aleutian Trenches are among the deepest and least explored marine regions in the world. Although the Mariana Trench remains the deepest point on the planet, actual exploration is rare, due to the extreme conditions: enormous pressure, low temperatures and complete isolation. Since the pioneers of the 1960s, only filmmaker James Cameron has descended solo to the Mariana Trench, in 2012. At the time, he described the landscape on the ocean floor as "alien and desolate.”

• A new frontier in biological knowledge

"It's like we've discovered a hidden world, with its own laws and creatures that defy the biological logic of life on the surface,” concluded Mengran Du.

This research opens up new perspectives on the adaptability of life and the potential to discover it in the most unusual places in the universe. Scientists emphasize the need to continue exploring the extreme areas of the planet, where, surprisingly, life not only survives, but also thrives.