Chinese team finds ‘garden-like’ ecosystem blooming in deepest ocean trenches

An international research team, utilizing China's advanced submersible 'Fendouzhe' (Striver), has uncovered a surprisingly rich and diverse ecosystem flourishing in the planet's deepest ocean trenches. These hadal zones, located more than 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) below the surface, present some of Earth's most extreme conditions, including crushing pressures, perpetual darkness, and temperatures near freezing.

Previously, scientists believed that only a limited number of hardy organisms, such as certain anemones, sponges, and bacteria, could survive in such inhospitable environments. However, the recent findings challenge this notion, revealing a complex community of life thriving on rocks within these trenches.

Led by Professor Peng Xiaotong from the Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the team explored seven hadal trenches, fracture zones, and basins across the Indo-Pacific region between 2020 and 2024. Their research, published in the journal Science, documented previously unknown faunas adapted to these extreme depths.

"Between 2020 and 2024, we used the submersible Fendouzhe to investigate seven hadal trenches, fracture zones and basins in the Indo‑Pacific region, uncovering previously unknown faunas inhabiting extreme hadal depths," Peng stated in the paper. This discovery opens new avenues for understanding the resilience and adaptability of life in extreme environments on Earth and potentially beyond.

“

Between 2020 and 2024, we used the submersible Fendouzhe to investigate seven hadal trenches, fracture zones and basins in the Indo‑Pacific region, uncovering previously unknown faunas inhabiting extreme hadal depths.