A group of Chinese researchers has revealed the mechanisms of life emergence in the Mariana Trench, the deepest point on Earth, in a study published in the journal "Science". Three scientific articles published last week showed new adaptive strategies and resources for microorganisms, different types of fish in the surrounding environment using samples collected by the Chinese submarine "Fendouzhe" (Striver).
The trench "Mariana Trench" is located at a depth of about 11,000 meters and represents a constantly dark and cold environment, the pressure of which is 1,100 atmospheres. It was previously thought to be a "life-limited zone."
On November 10, 2020, "Fendouzhe" reached the trench and discovered a rich ecological system. Researchers identified over 7,500 genetic representatives of primitive unicellular microorganisms at the level of species, of which approximately 90% are considered new organisms, undiscovered before; at the same time, this diversity reaches the total known microbial marine diversity in the world.
Researchers also found that the genes of different types of fish, similar to crustaceans, exceed the human genome by four times.
