Archive · 31 Jul 2025
Scientists Find Thriving Communities in Deepest Ocean Trenches
Scientists, using a Chinese submersible called Fendouzhe, explored the deepest parts of the ocean.
They found bustling communities of creatures like worms and clams living almost 10 kilometers down in trenches.
These creatures don't use sunlight; instead, they get energy from chemicals in the seafloor, like methane.
It is like discovering a busy underwater city in the dark!
These creatures show how life can exist in extreme conditions.
The scientists are now studying how the creatures live.
A Chinese-led research team discovered thriving communities in the Kuril-Kamchatka and Aleutian trenches.
The discovery was made 9.5 kilometers (31,000 feet) below sea level.
The team used the submersible 'Fendouzhe' to explore the trenches.
Diverse marine life, including tubeworms and mollusks, was observed.
Creatures are believed to survive through chemosynthesis of methane and hydrogen sulfide.
- Who
- A Chinese-led team of researchers.
- What
- Discovery of thriving communities in the deepest parts of the ocean.
- When
- The discovery was made last summer, reported on Wednesday in the journal Nature.
- Where
- Kuril-Kamchatka and Aleutian trenches in the northwest Pacific Ocean.
- Why
- To explore the limits of life in extreme environments and understand chemosynthesis.
- Submersible
- Fendouzhe
- Location
- Kuril-Kamchatka and Aleutian trenches
- Depth
- 9.5 kilometers (31,000 feet)
- Dominant Life Forms
- Tube worms, mollusks
- Energy Source
- Chemosynthesis of methane and hydrogen sulfide
