我国科学家发现全球最深化能合成生态系统

Core Insights - An international research team led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences has discovered the world's deepest and largest chemosynthetic ecosystem in the Northwest Pacific, specifically in the Chiba-Kamchatka and Aleutian trenches, at a depth of 9,533 meters [1][2] - This discovery challenges existing beliefs about the survival of life at extreme depths and provides new perspectives on the complex mechanisms of deep-sea carbon cycling [1][2] Group 1 - The research utilized the "Fendouzhe" manned submersible to reveal thriving chemosynthetic communities that do not rely on sunlight for energy, but instead utilize chemical reactions from geological fluids [1][2] - The chemosynthetic communities observed are primarily composed of deep-sea tube worms and bivalve mollusks, which sustain themselves on fluids rich in hydrogen sulfide and methane [2][3] - The study indicates that the methane found in these environments is produced by microbial activity deep within sediment layers, suggesting the existence of a previously unknown, active deep biosphere dominated by methane-producing microorganisms [2][3] Group 2 - The findings challenge the traditional view that deep-sea ecosystems primarily rely on organic particles and animal remains that sink from the ocean surface [3] - The research proposes the "Global Chemosynthetic Life Corridor" hypothesis, suggesting that chemosynthetic ecosystems may be more widely distributed in the deep sea than currently known, potentially forming a corridor along tectonically active and organic-rich trench bottoms [3]