Core Insights - The "Global Abyss Exploration Program," led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has made a significant discovery of the deepest known chemosynthetic life community and associated geological fluid activity at a depth of 9,533 meters in the Northwest Pacific's Chiba-Kamchatka Trench and Aleutian Trench [1][2] - The research utilized the "Fendouzhe" manned submersible to uncover large-scale chemosynthetic life communities and methane reservoirs, primarily consisting of deep-sea tube worms and bivalve mollusks that rely on hydrogen sulfide and methane-rich fluids for sustenance [1] - Geochemical analysis indicates that the methane in these environments is produced by microorganisms deep within sediment layers, suggesting the existence of a previously unknown, large, active deep biosphere beneath the abyssal seafloor [1] - This discovery challenges the traditional view that abyssal ecosystems primarily depend on organic particles and animal remains sinking from the ocean surface, providing a new perspective on the complex mechanisms of deep-sea carbon cycling [1] - The research not only identifies new species of chemosynthetic life but also suggests that chemosynthetic organisms may significantly influence the structure of abyssal ecosystems and global carbon cycling [1] - Scientists hypothesize that this phenomenon is not unique, indicating the presence of a "chemosynthetic life corridor" in global abyssal trenches [1]

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] - The research utilized the "Striver" manned submersible to reveal thriving chemosynthetic communities that do not rely on sunlight for energy, instead using chemical reactions from geological fluids for metabolism [1][2] - This discovery challenges existing beliefs about life survival at extreme depths and provides new perspectives on the complex mechanisms of deep-sea carbon cycling [1][2] Group 1 - The research indicates that the chemosynthetic communities observed are the deepest and largest known, spanning over 2,500 kilometers of trench bottom, primarily consisting of deep-sea tube worms and bivalve mollusks [1][2] - These communities sustain themselves by utilizing fluids rich in hydrogen sulfide and methane that rise along faults [1][2] - The study suggests that new species of chemosynthetic life may be discovered, along with potential new metabolic pathways and mechanisms for extreme pressure adaptation [1] Group 2 - The findings have significant implications for understanding the Earth's deep carbon cycle, revealing that methane in these environments is produced by microbial activity deep within sediment layers [2] - This indicates the existence of a previously unknown, large, active deep biosphere dominated by methane-producing microorganisms, which convert carbon dioxide from decomposed organic matter into methane [2] - The research challenges the traditional view that deep-sea ecosystems primarily rely on organic particles and animal remains from the ocean surface, suggesting that chemosynthetic life plays a more crucial role than previously thought [2]

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 Kuril-Kamchatka Trench and Aleutian Trench, at a depth of 9,533 meters [1][2] - The research, published on July 30 in the journal "Nature," reveals a thriving chemosynthetic community that does not rely on sunlight for energy, instead utilizing chemical reactions from geological fluids [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] Ecosystem Characteristics - 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 [1] - The study indicates that methane in these environments is produced by microbial activity deep within sediment layers, suggesting the existence of a vast and active deep biosphere beneath the abyssal seafloor [2] - This process may sequester significant amounts of organic carbon from the upper ocean, forming large methane reservoirs in the form of natural gas hydrates, thereby challenging traditional models of deep-sea carbon cycling [2] Implications for Research - The findings directly contest the traditional view that abyssal ecosystems primarily rely on organic particles and animal remains from the ocean surface [2] - The research suggests that chemosynthetic life may play a more crucial role in abyssal ecosystems than previously thought, significantly influencing their structure and function [2] - The study is part of the "Global Abyss Exploration Program," initiated by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, which aims to uncover the mysteries of the deep abyss using advanced submersible technology [2]

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]

Core Insights - An international research team led by the Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, discovered the deepest known chemosynthetic life community at a depth of 9,533 meters in the Northwest Pacific Ocean [3][4] - The research, published in the journal Nature, reveals that these life forms do not rely on sunlight for energy but instead utilize chemical reactions from geological fluids for metabolism [3][5] Group 1: Discovery of Chemosynthetic Life - The study marks the first direct observation of the largest and deepest chemosynthetic life community, spanning over 2,500 kilometers of ocean trench [4] - The communities are primarily composed of deep-sea tube worms and bivalve mollusks, which sustain life by utilizing fluids rich in hydrogen sulfide and methane [4] Group 2: Implications for Deep Sea Carbon Cycle - The research has significant implications for understanding the Earth's deep carbon cycle, revealing that methane in these environments is produced by microbial activity deep within sediment layers [5] - This finding suggests the existence of a previously unknown, large, and active deep biosphere that continuously converts buried carbon into methane, challenging traditional models of deep-sea carbon cycling [5] - The study indicates that chemosynthetic life may play a more crucial role in deep-sea ecosystems than previously thought, impacting the structure of these ecosystems [5] Group 3: Global Hadal Exploration Programme - This research is a key component of the Global Hadal Exploration Programme (GHEP), a ten-year international scientific initiative aimed at uncovering the mysteries of Earth's deep oceanic trenches using advanced deep-sea technology [5]

Core Findings - 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 for energy [1] - The study revealed large-scale chemosynthetic life communities and methane reservoirs along a 2,500-kilometer stretch of ocean trench, primarily consisting of deep-sea tube worms and bivalve mollusks [1] - The methane in these environments is produced by microorganisms deep within sediment layers, indicating the existence of a previously unknown, active deep biosphere beneath the abyssal seafloor [1] Implications for Ecosystem and Carbon Cycle - The discovery challenges the traditional view that abyssal ecosystems are primarily 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 [1] - The research suggests that chemosynthetic life may significantly influence the structure of abyssal ecosystems and global carbon cycles, indicating the presence of a "chemosynthetic life corridor" in deep ocean trenches worldwide [2] - This study is part of the "Global Abyss Exploration Program," an international research initiative led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences aimed at uncovering the mysteries of the Earth's deep ocean [2]

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]

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].