That’s what you will find out after reading this story:
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2023 Los Angeles Occidental College scientists have collected 36 specimens of sea spiders living near the methane along the Pacific coast from California to Alaska.
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After researching the arachnids -like beings, they learned that these deep -sea species form a symbiotic relationship with methylotrophic bacteria that provide a source of food in the dark afotic zone.
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This new study shows a more detailed picture of how the deep sea helps prevent methane (strong greenhouse gas) to be avoided into the atmosphere.
When you live in an ocean apron area where absolute darkness reigns, you need some creative solutions to ask some beautiful existential questions. Chief Among them: What do you eat?
For various species of the ocean bottom, including mussels, worms and sponges, which are the answers lies with chemosynthetic bacteria-organisms that thrive around the methane when the gas avoids the Earth’s crust. A new study shows that three species of the sea spider tribe Sericosura Also, show a similar ability to explain why these spinning leg organisms are found in such an abundance of methane leakage. The results of the study were published in the magazine PThe tops of the National Academy of Sciences (PNA).
Despite the name, the sea spiders are not Actually spiders (though arachnophobe is probably a bit comforting). Although they look extremely similar, the sea spiders have a thinner cephalotorax than the appearance of their eight -leg terrestrial and their legs usually have more joints. Oh, they also live in a deep ocean – one of the true boundaries of biology. This hard -to -reach ecosystem is why many aspects of their lives remain a mystery.
“In our study, the aim was to investigate ways to use new energy sources such as methane,” Shana Goffredi, a senior study by Los Angeles Occidental College, said in a press release. “Although the deep sea feels far, all organisms are connected and the processes of one ecosystem affect another.”
2023 Goffredi, along with two students including Bianca Dal Bó Att. To investigate these creatures in their deep -sea habitats. With the help of a test underwater named AlvinThey investigated and collected specimens of the sea spider at 1000 meters (3,280 feet) below the ocean surface from the DEL and Palos Verdes Seeps in California and Sanak Seep in Alaska. Of the 36 copies, three spiders represented brand new species.
“I’ve seen animal samples in the preservative laboratory for so long, so it was beautiful to finally see them in the natural habitat,” the Dal Bó said in a press release. “It made me feel more with my project and these charming ecosystems.”
During experiments on board, the Goffredi and Dal Bó incubavas marine spiders in sea water with methanol and heavy methane isotope. Because this isotope is rare, researchers may have followed its effects on sea spiders, including if it was swallowed. They found that methylotrophic bacteria on sea spider exoskeels were a food source.
“Evidence of tissue isotopic analysis, microbiomas sequence and live animal incubations followed by follow 13C-methane isotopic probing confirms the active methane carbon insertion into spider tissues, “the authors said.” This study emphasizes the interaction between the previously unknown animal line and chemically incurred microbes by introducing another symbiotic path to direct microbial transmission to the animal in the deep sea. “
This transmission of methane carbon to animal biomass is particularly important for scientists to understand because methane is one of the strongest greenhouse gas. Sea spiders are renamed other deep ocean animals, their role to be locked in the ocean, so they do not reach the atmosphere and exacerbate the occurrence of the climate crisis.
“Although the deep sea feels really far, all organisms are connected,” Goffredi told CNN. “Although they are small, these animals have a big impact in that environment. We can never expect sustainably (use) oceans if we really do not understand the oceans.”
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