我国科学家发现“吃”硫化氢和甲烷的最深海底生命群落

Core Insights - The research led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences has discovered the deepest known chemosynthetic life communities at a depth of 9,533 meters in the ocean, which do not rely on sunlight but instead utilize chemical reactions in geological fluids for energy [1][4]. Group 1: Discovery of Chemosynthetic Life - The "Fendouzhe" manned submersible has successfully identified large-scale chemosynthetic life communities and methane reservoirs at the ocean floor, primarily consisting of deep-sea tube worms and bivalve mollusks that rely on hydrogen sulfide and methane-rich fluids for survival [2][5]. - The discovery challenges the traditional view that abyssal ecosystems are mainly sustained by organic particles and animal remains sinking from the ocean surface, providing a new perspective on the complex mechanisms of deep-sea carbon cycling [4]. Group 2: Implications for Ecosystem and Carbon Cycle - The research not only identifies new species of chemosynthetic life but also suggests that these organisms may significantly influence the structure of abyssal ecosystems and global carbon cycles [5]. - Scientists hypothesize that this phenomenon is not an isolated case, indicating the existence of a "chemosynthetic life corridor" in deep-sea trenches worldwide [5].