4 hours agoShareSaveVictoria GillScience correspondent, BBC NewsShareSaveBeds of clams, mats of bacteria that look like ice and fields of tube worms – these are just some examples of the strange, extreme life that an expedition to the deepest parts of the ocean has observed, filmed and photographed.Diving in a human-occupied submersible to ocean trenches in the northwest Pacific Ocean, a Chinese-led research team captured pictures of life at depths of more than 9km (5.6miles).The deepest marine life filmed before this expedition was at 8,336m – a snailfish that was filmed swimming in a deep ocean trench off the coast of Japan in 2023.These new observations are published in the journal Nature. IDSSE/CASThe findings challenge “long-standing assumptions” about life’s potential at such extreme depths and pressures. They also suggest that these communities of animals, rather than extreme rarities, are actually widespread.Prof Andrew Sweetman, a senior scientist from the Scottish Association for marine science told BBC News that the discovery showed that whole “ecosystems driven by methane may exist in the deepest parts of the ocean”.And how did it feel, for a scientist, to descend to such extreme, pitch-black depths?Dr Du told BBC News: “Some people might find it frightening, but I always encourage my students – look through the window at the bottom of the sea,” she said. “You will be inspired.” …
