DNA Shed by Deep-Sea Organisms Reveals a Dark Abyss Teeming With Tiny Life Forms

[Judi Lynn]

Plankton swimming in the sea. (Gerard Soury/Getty Images)

CARLY CASSELLA5 FEBRUARY 2022

Sweeping the ocean floor at hundreds of points throughout the world, researchers have revealed an astonishing diversity of microscopic life thriving in the deepest and darkest parts of our planet.

The sediment collected at each spot was analyzed for environmental DNA (eDNA), which marine animals shed as they go about their lives. While sea creatures cast off some of that eDNA, among that material is also evidence of microbes and other tiny animals that make up the shadowy ecosystem at the bottom of the world.

Researchers compared the results to other existing DNA datasets of plankton, collected in the upper layers of the ocean, to make sure they only identified creatures of the deep.

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The tiniest creatures, however, are often the glue that holds food webs together. They are also critical regulators of the global climate, helping to bury carbon in the deep ocean.

More:
https://www.sciencealert.com/dna-shed-by-deep-sea-organisms-reveals-an-abyss-teeming-with-life