Unveiling Mysterious Microorganisms in the Depths of the Pacific Ocean
Discover the groundbreaking exploration of the Atacama Trench, revealing new marine species and deep-sea life forms previously unknown to science.
What creatures inhabit the ocean’s deepest realms?
Scientists Osvaldo Ulloa and Victor Vescovo embarked on a daring expedition into the Atacama Trench, also known as the Peru-Chile Trench, located in the Pacific Ocean. Diving to an astounding depth of 8,000 meters, they conducted the first-ever examination of the ocean floor in this remote region, uncovering organisms never before documented by science, as reported by ScienceAlert.
We encountered unique geological formations and observed a type of holothurian—translucent sea cucumbers resembling jelly—that had not been recorded previously and are likely new species.
Osvaldo Ulloa
Director of the Oceanography Institute at the University of Concepción
The researchers found a dense and extensive "meadow" of holothurians on the ocean floor, indicating a surprisingly vibrant ecosystem thriving at such incredible depths.
Additionally, they identified communities of filamentous bacteria that had never before been observed in this trench. This discovery raises new questions about the nature and diversity of life in these extreme underwater environments.
Another remarkable finding was the confirmation of amphipods—small crustaceans related to shrimp—living at these depths. These creatures were initially spotted during an unmanned expedition in 2018.
The Atacama Trench is located along the boundary of tectonic plates off the coast of Chile in the Pacific Ocean.
The expedition utilized a specially designed submersible to reach these depths. At just 100 meters below the surface, the scientists faced complete darkness, illuminated only by the powerful lights of their deep-sea vessel.
Future dives are planned to further explore the trench and deploy specialized sensors to monitor the deformation of the ocean floor — a method previously used only on land.
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