Tag

Chemosynthesis

All articles tagged with #chemosynthesis

science6 days ago•6 min saved

Robot Discovers Thriving Deep-Sea Life Nearly 5,000 Meters Deep in Cayman Trough

An ROV exploring the Beebe Vent Field at the Mid-Cayman Spreading Centre nearly 5,000 meters below the sea uncovered a thriving hydrothermal-vent ecosystem around black-smoker chimneys. Vent fluids can reach around 401°C, but surrounding water stays cool enough to support life because of the immense pressure; energy comes from chemosynthesis instead of sunlight, sustaining organisms such as eelpouts, anemones, squat lobsters, and eyeless shrimp with dorsal light-sensing organs. This discovery highlights life’s resilience in extreme, sunless environments.

via Indian Defence Review|

#beebe-vent-field #cayman-trough #chemosynthesis

science19 days ago•3 min saved

Life Persists in 400°C Black Smokers at Beebe Vent Field, the Ocean’s Deepest Vents

A deep-sea ROV explored the Cayman Trough and found the Beebe Vent Field, the deepest hydrothermal vents at about 4,968 meters. The vents spew near-boiling fluids that remain liquid under high pressure; life thrives via chemosynthesis, with organisms like eelpout fish, anemones, squat lobsters, and shrimp with light-sensing organs inhabiting the black-smoker environment.

via BBC Wildlife Magazine|

#beebe-vent-field #chemosynthesis #deep-sea

science1 month ago•4 min saved

Antarctic Whale Fall Reveals Hidden Deep-Sea Food Web

A 10.7-meter Antarctic minke whale skeleton found at 1,444 meters near the South Sandwich Islands marks the first natural whale fall observed in Antarctic waters. In the sulfophilic stage, bacteria on decomposing bones generate chemical energy that sustains a new deep-sea community, including nine previously unknown species and bone-eating Osedax worms, with colonization linked to bone lipid content via the oil-gradient hypothesis. The ecosystem is powered by chemosynthesis rather than sunlight, and decomposition can take years to decades; researchers also note unresolved questions on how such isolated prey sources are located in the vast ocean and how whale falls connect to hydrothermal-vent habitats in polar regions.

via Indian Defence Review|

#antarctica #chemosynthesis #deep-sea-biology

science2 months ago•13 min saved

Whale Falls Spark Hidden Deep-Sea Ecosystems

When a whale carcass sinks to the deep ocean, it becomes a long-lasting, multi-stage feast: initial scavengers strip flesh, bone‑eating worms (Osedax) and bone‑eating snot‑flowers bore into bone, and later sulphur‑loving chemoautotrophs sustain a thriving community for decades, turning a single whale into a whole new ecosystem and aiding the dispersal of specialized deep‑sea life.

via BBC|

#chemosynthesis #deep-sea #osedax

science2 months ago•4 min saved

Antarctica’s Cold Vent Breaks Hydrothermal Norms

British researchers have discovered Hook Ridge, a cold, irregular hydrothermal vent off Antarctica that emits a low-temperature plume rather than the hot fluids typical of vents, and shows no current life due to its irregular activity; a relict mineral chimney reveals past hydrothermal activity and warmth. The finding suggests unusual vents can still influence deep-sea biology and may act as stepping stones for genetic material across the oceans.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#antarctica #chemosynthesis #hook-ridge

planet-earth3 months ago•83 min saved

Morocco wrinkle fossils hint at chemosynthetic life deep beneath ancient seas

Scientists found wrinkle-like fossil imprints in 180-million-year-old turbidites in Morocco's Central High Atlas, likely formed by ancient chemosynthetic microbial communities rather than photosynthetic life, suggesting deep-water habitats preserved in rocks may hold clues to early life and expanding where researchers search for oldest microbial life.

via Live Science|

#chemosynthesis #microbial-mats #morocco

earth-science4 months ago•7 min saved

Ancient Microbes Leave Deep-Sea Wrinkles, Redefining Life’s Origins

Geologists report wrinkle-like textures in 180-million-year-old deep-sea turbidites in Morocco that are biotic, formed by chemosynthetic microbial mats in sunless, low-oxygen waters. Carbon-rich layers beneath the wrinkles and modern deep-sea analogs support a biotic origin, suggesting such textures can record ancient life in deep-water settings and may widen where researchers search for early Earth life.

via SciTechDaily|

#chemosynthesis #deep-sea #earth-science

science4 months ago•2 min saved

Radioactive Elements Could Power Life in Europa's Hidden Oceans

Scientists propose that radioactive elements seeping from Europa's rocks into its subsurface ocean could generate enough energy to support microbial life, offering an alternative to internal heat as a source of habitability. The upcoming NASA Europa Clipper mission may test this theory, which is inspired by Earth's chemosynthetic ecosystems.

via Gizmodo|

#alien-life #chemosynthesis #europa

science9 months ago•2 min saved

Deep-Sea Explorers Uncover Unprecedented Ecosystem at Over 9,500 Meters

Researchers from the Schmidt Ocean Institute discovered a hidden network of underwater caves off the Eastern Pacific, home to giant tube worms that survive through chemosynthesis, revealing a new, stable environment that could harbor more undiscovered marine life in extreme conditions.

via Diario AS|

#chemosynthesis #deep-sea-ecosystem #extreme-environments

science9 months ago•5 min saved

Scientists Discover New Deep-Sea Ecosystem at Record Depths

Scientists exploring the depths of the ocean discovered a vast, previously unknown ecosystem in the hadal zone, where microbes convert methane into energy, supporting diverse life forms in extreme, sunless conditions, and revealing the significant role these trenches play in the global carbon cycle.

via CNN|

#chemosynthesis #deep-sea-exploration #hadeal-zone

science9 months ago•5 min saved

Scientists Discover New Ecosystem During Deep-Sea Submersible Cruise

Scientists exploring the hadal zone between Russia and Alaska discovered a vast, previously unknown deep-sea ecosystem fueled by methane and chemosynthetic life, revealing new insights into the role of trenches in the global carbon cycle and the resilience of life in extreme environments.

via CNN|

#chemosynthesis #deep-sea-exploration #hadel-zone

science9 months ago•4 min saved

Deep-Sea Ecosystems: New Discoveries at the Ocean's Greatest Depths

A Chinese-led team using a deep-sea submersible discovered a thriving ecosystem at 30,000 feet below the Pacific Ocean surface, featuring worms, clams, microbial mats, and other life forms that survive through chemosynthesis, challenging previous assumptions about life at extreme depths.

via NBC News|

#chemosynthesis #deep-sea #ecosystem

science9 months ago•2 min saved

New Deep-Sea Ecosystem Discovered at Record Depths

Scientists have discovered the deepest and most extensive complex ecosystem at 9,000 meters below the sea in the hadal trenches, where life thrives on chemosynthesis using hydrogen sulfide and methane, challenging previous assumptions about the limits of deep-sea ecosystems.

via IFLScience|

#chemosynthesis #deepest-ecosystem #hadal-zone

science3 years ago•4 min saved

Exploring the Depths: Discoveries of the World's Deepest Fish

Scientists have recorded the deepest fish ever on camera, a snailfish swimming at a depth of 8,336m in the Izu-Ogasawara trench, south-east of Japan. The hadal zone, which extends from 6 to 11km, is a forbidding place, characterised by complete darkness, crushing pressure and near-freezing temperatures. Marine animals living in the hadal zone have adapted on a cellular level to enable them to withstand the oppressive conditions, including high concentrations of organic molecules called piezolytes, which stop their cellular membranes and proteins from being crushed under extremely high pressure.

via BBC|

#adaptation #chemosynthesis #deep-ocean