We are a curious species, and always have been, with a pining desire to explore and discover more about the world we live in and beyond. This desire to explore presents us with an evolutionary advantage, essentially enabling us to be better prepared for the world’s secrets and events. However, this desire could be detrimental to complex ecosystems discovered on the Pacific Ocean’s bottom. Should it have stayed lost to the depths of the ocean?
Going where no man has dared to go before
Before mankind became driven to explore space and discover more about the complex universe beyond Earth, explorers such as Christopher Columbus sought to set out on voyages to the “New World.” Even as early as 2,500 years ago, the first recorded archaeological discovery was made by Nabonidus of Babylon. Little by little, some of the most unique and eerie discoveries have been made, uncovering more about Earth’s history.
However, one of the least explored places on our planet is the ocean depths. As Earth is covered by nearly 80% of ocean, it means a large area remains unmapped, perhaps even hiding species and ecosystems beyond our wildest imaginations. Factors that have made exploration in the deep ocean more difficult include:
- Extreme pressures
- Near darkness and freezing temperatures
- Technological limits and high costs
Despite these difficulties, a research team led by Chinese researchers dared to go where no man had dared to go before. Moreover, they made a discovery that seems to raise more questions than answer them.
The Pacific’s hidden complex ecosystems
Some may argue that deep-sea exploration became a sensation in 1875 after the HMS Challenger set out on an expedition and identified a 5-mile deep trench near the Mariana Islands. The depth was determined by lowering weighted ropes. Little did the crew of the Challenger know what would be discovered at the bottom of this trench nearly 150 years later.
The Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean has always been intriguing, as it is the deepest trench on Earth. Estimates indicate that its deepest point, the Challenger Deep, is nearly 36,000 feet. At such deep depths, the belief was that life could not be possible. But the Chinese-led research team debunked that belief.
Exploration with the submersible Fendouzhe uncovered a hidden chemosynthetic ecosystem nearly 31,000 feet deep into the Mariana Trench. This thriving ecosystem is also believed to be a potential site of dark oxygen generation, as it hosts similar nodules. The study findings were published in the scientific journal Nature, hinting that these lifeforms are more abundant than previously thought.
Survival of the fittest, but at what cost
To survive at such extreme depths, the communities of tube worms, sea cucumbers, mollusks, and crustaceans use the ocean floor’s methane, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon leaks for energy, and thus do not photosynthesize. One of the lead authors of the study, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ deputy director of the Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Xiaotong Peng, commented:
“…what we saw was quite amazing.”
However, while this ecosystem is fit to survive these harsh conditions, researchers are concerned that the survival of the little-explored deep-sea and its communities hang on a thread. The demand for critical minerals is skyrocketing, with deep-sea mining becoming the only unfortunate solution, especially as the U.S. and China continue to compete for dominance.
These critical minerals play a crucial role in the transition to clean energy, as most renewable energy technologies cannot be manufactured without them. Nonetheless, destroying vulnerable and most likely ancient ecosystems cannot be the answer to the problem, especially as we are only beginning to uncover more about their existence. Now, it seems their existence may also be threatened by the increased occurrence of darkwaves. Their fate is in our hands.
