Scientists uncover the aluminium shield helping a tiny crustacean survive
Scientists have discovered that the deep-sea amphipod Hirondellea gigas survives the extreme pressures of the Mariana Trench by coating its exoskeleton in a protective layer of aluminium. The crustacean extracts this metal from ocean sediment using a specialized chemical compound, allowing it to thrive in an environment where calcium-based shells would normally dissolve.
Why it matters
This discovery provides new insights into biological adaptation in extreme environments and could inspire biomimetic materials science for high-pressure engineering applications.
Nearly seven miles beneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean lies a place so hostile that only a handful of human beings in all of history have ever seen it. Total darkness, near-freezing water, and pressure equivalent to a jet's weight bearing down on a single postage stamp define this world. According to Guinness World Records, the Challenger Deep, the lowest point of the Mariana Trench, reaches a verified depth of 10,935 metres, based on crewed submersible dives piloted by explorer Victor Vescovo in 2020. Remarkably, life persists even here. The amphipod Hirondellea gigas, a small shrimp-like crustacean, has made this crushing environment its home. For decades, scientists puzzled over how any creature carrying a calcium-based exoskeleton could survive such pressure without its shell simply dissolving away.How Hirondellea gigas uses aluminium to survive crushing pressure below 8,000 metresCrustacean exoskeletons typically rely heavily on calcium carbonate for structure and protection.
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