China's Fendouzhe Finds Animal Ecosystem at 9,533 Meters, Extending Hadal Record by 2 Kilometers
Updated
Updated · spacedaily.com · Jul 18
China's Fendouzhe Finds Animal Ecosystem at 9,533 Meters, Extending Hadal Record by 2 Kilometers
3 articles · Updated · spacedaily.com · Jul 18
Summary
Nature reported that China's Fendouzhe submersible documented tubeworm and clam communities at 9,533 meters in the Kuril-Kamchatka and western Aleutian trenches—the deepest animal ecosystem yet recorded.
The 2024 survey found the chemosynthesis-based communities stretched about 2,500 kilometers along trench floors from roughly 5,800 to 9,533 meters, far beyond the sparse, isolated hadal sightings known before.
Methane and hydrogen sulphide seeping up through trench-floor faults appear to fuel symbiotic bacteria inside the animals, with geochemical evidence indicating the methane is microbial in origin from deeper sediments.
The finding pushes the previous depth record of 7,434 meters down by more than 2 kilometers and challenges the view that hadal ecosystems depend mainly on organic matter sinking from sunlit surface waters.
Researchers say the result supports a possible deep-trench 'chemosynthetic life corridor,' though confirming whether similar ecosystems span other hadal trenches will require more dives and sampling.
We just discovered Earth’s deepest ecosystems. Can we protect them from the accelerating deep-sea mining rush?
If life thrives without sunlight at Earth's deepest point, what does this mean for finding life on other worlds?
As China unveils life in the abyss, is it also charting a new frontier for geopolitical competition?
2025 Deep-Sea Breakthrough: Unveiling a 2,500-Kilometer Chemosynthetic Biosphere at 30,000 Feet
Overview
In July 2025, scientists made a groundbreaking discovery that changed our understanding of life in the deepest parts of the ocean. They found a whole new type of ecosystem thriving at 30,000 feet, in regions once thought to be nearly lifeless. These ecosystems exist in hadal trenches, which are formed when one tectonic plate slides beneath another, creating immense pressure and darkness. Life here is not powered by sunlight, but by chemosynthesis, where organisms get energy from chemical reactions. This finding challenges old beliefs about where life can exist and reveals the surprising abundance and resilience of deep-sea life.