'Lost world': Scientists discover vibrant ecosystem in Pacific Ocean trench
Scientists just found a surprisingly lively ecosystem almost 9,500 meters down in the Pacific Ocean's deepest trenches.
Down here, clams, tube worms, mollusks, crustaceans, and sea cucumbers are thriving—not with sunlight, but by using chemical energy from methane and hydrogen sulfide leaking out of the seafloor.
How life survives without sunlight
Tiny microbes living in these deep sediments create methane and hydrogen sulfide.
Bacteria inside larger animals then turn those chemicals into energy through chemosynthesis.
This means life can flourish even without sunlight or food drifting down from above—challenging what we thought about how deep-sea creatures survive.
Threats to this hidden world
These hadal trenches store up to 70 times more organic carbon than regular ocean floors and help cycle greenhouse gasses like methane and CO2.
But this hidden world faces real threats from deep-sea mining and microplastic pollution—reminding us how easily fragile ecosystems can be disrupted.