Deep-sea life has a secret food source scientists never expected
Scientists have discovered that deep-sea microbes feed on dissolved organic matter leaked from sinking 'marine snow' due to extreme hydrostatic pressure. This process suggests that carbon is recycled in the deep ocean more rapidly than previously estimated.
Why it matters
This discovery forces a re-evaluation of the global carbon cycle, as it suggests less carbon may be permanently sequestered in deep-sea sediments than climate models currently assume.
Scientists have uncovered an unexpected source of food in the deep ocean that could change how researchers understand both marine ecosystems and Earth's carbon cycle. A new study from the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) suggests that deep ocean microbes are not living in such a nutrient-starved environment after all.
The research found that tiny sinking particles known as marine snow release dissolved carbon and nitrogen as they descend into the deep sea. Those leaked nutrients become an immediate food source for microbes living in the surrounding seawater.
Deep ocean pressure unlocks hidden nutrients
Marine snow is made up of tiny clumps of dead algae, microbes, and other organic material drifting through the ocean. According to the study, once these particles reach depths of about 2 to 6 kilometers, the enormous hydrostatic pressure begins forcing dissolved organic matter out of them.
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