万米海底，“奋斗者”号发现生命绿洲

Group 1 - An international research team led by the Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences discovered the deepest known chemosynthetic life community at a depth of 9,533 meters in the Northwest Pacific Ocean [1][3] - The research utilized the "Fendouzhe" manned submersible to reveal thriving chemosynthetic communities in the abyssal zone, which do not rely on sunlight for energy but instead utilize chemical reactions from geological fluids [1][3] - This groundbreaking discovery challenges traditional understandings of life survival at extreme depths and provides new insights into the complex mechanisms of deep-sea carbon cycling [1][6] Group 2 - The abyssal zone, defined as depths between 6,000 meters and nearly 11,000 meters, is typically formed in subduction zones, and while the existence of chemosynthetic communities was long speculated, actual discoveries were rare [3] - This study is the first to directly observe the largest and deepest distribution of chemosynthetic life communities, primarily composed of deep-sea tube worms and bivalve mollusks, relying on fluids rich in hydrogen sulfide and methane [3][6] - The research indicates the presence of a previously unknown, large, and active deep biosphere that continuously converts buried carbon into methane, challenging traditional models of deep-sea carbon cycling and budget [6][8] Group 3 - The findings directly contest the traditional view that abyssal ecosystems primarily depend on organic particles and animal remains from the ocean surface, suggesting that chemosynthetic life plays a more significant role than previously thought [6] - This research is part of the Global Hadal Exploration Programme (GHEP), a ten-year international scientific initiative aimed at uncovering the mysteries of Earth's deep abyssal regions using advanced deep-sea technology [8]