Chinese team finds garden-like ecosystemgarden-like ecosystem in deepest ocean trenches
A Chinese research team reported finding a diverse, garden-like ecosystem in the deepest ocean trenches, based on work in hadal zones including the Mariana Trench.
The discovery matters because it expands what scientists know about life and carbon cycling in one of Earth’s least explored environments.
- The Mariana Trench reaches nearly 11,000 meters at its deepest point.
- Life in hadal zones often survives by relying on falling organic debris from upper waters.
- Some deep-sea species have evolved flexible cell structures to cope with crushing pressure.
