Marine abysses, the last frontier to be protected

FReddi, dark, silent. Marine abysses are the last frontier of our planet, the most unexplored and mysterious places. If the Marianne pit in the Pacific with its almost 11 thousand meters boasts the deepest point record of the earthly surface, the environment begins well before.

“By convention, abysmal seas are all those who exceed three thousand meters deep” explains Sandro Carniel, oceanographer and research manager at the Polar Sciences Institute of the CNR. “In reality, for us human beings everything that is more than 100 meters from the surface of the sea is already”.

Not only the oceans, but also our Mediterranean, which exceeds five thousand meters, has its abysses. Already around 100-150 meters the sunlight begins to disappear and the pressure becomes so high that it is unbearable for us living on the surface of the planet.

For centuries, the seabed have been considered “liquid deserts”, lifeless and useless. Ever since technology has allowed us to explore the abysmal depths – the Trieste Batiscoper in 1960 with two scientists on board has reached the bottom of the Marianne pit – we are recovering. The abysses are rich in life, they can partially warm up due to climate change And they hide mineral resources that throat many. For their role in the balance of the planet, they must be absolutely protected.

Abysses, life in perennial darkness

Marine abysses are characterized by the absence of plant life. No algae and no phytoplankton. The reason is soon said: the absence of sunlight prevents photosynthesis. At these depths there are only forms of animal life that feed on other animals or of the “navy snow”, consisting of residues of organic substances, even in decomposition, which descend downwards. It is not to all live in the dark, in waters with a temperature close to zero.

“The high pressure alters the composition and shape of the body’s water molecules, making it Vital processes impossible »explains Ester Cecerethe first researcher of the CNR waters research institute and abysmal fauna scholar. “According to a study by the University of Leeds, animals protect themselves from this risk by increasing the quantity in the body of trimetillamine-n-oxide with the depth, which forms a sort of shell protecting the water molecules from distortions”.

Telescopic and bioluminesses eyes

If we could do a ride in the abysses with a lamp, We would meet characters worthy of the star wars bar. “The darkness has led the abysmal creatures to develop telescopic eyes, which protrude from the elongated eye orbit, facing upwards to see the possible prey that stand out towards the light from the surface” says Cecere. “Some are able to produce light thanks to chemical reactions in the epidermal glands. It is the phenomenon of bioluminescence, which is used for predation, but also to communicate and seek partner, and sometimes also for the defense ».

The mouths of the abysmal fish are often enormous and equipped with large sharp teeth, capable of opening up without disarticulating to swallow the bigger prey. «This is the case of several bone fish called” fishing frogs “. In them the first ray of the dorsal fin is stretched to the mouth of the fish and emits light to attract the prey, which the animal awaits crushed on the seabed with a wide open mouth »comments Cecere.

If the fishing frog of the lowest seabed is not particularly graceful, Linophryne Arborfera who lives up to a thousand meters deep is decidedly monstrous. The female has a bioluminescent barbiglio reminiscent of a tree, dangling under the mouth, as well as a bright bait on the head. In this case, the light also serves to attract the male. “The partner attaches himself to the skin of the female by merging with it And losing the vital organs »says Cecere. “From this moment on, she will nourish him and he turns into a genital organ”.

Regalecus glesne, or remo fish, is at least three meters long and is eelwith a single dorsal fin and a barbel in mind. “It is known as a marine monster since ancient times, associated with the story of Jonah in the Bible”. The fish did not eat the prophet, and Not even the remote fish, so similar to a marine snake, is dangerous for man. Another bizarre type is the Goblin shark, or goblice shark, with a long rostrum reminiscent of a beak, which gives it a deformed appearance.

Nightmare creatures

A typical phenomenon of abysmal animals, the increase in latitude and the decrease in temperatures, is the gigantism. In practice, they are similar to species of the same kind that live more on the surface, but they are much, much larger. “The large dimensions increase the volume leaving less surface exposed and thus reducing heat loss»Comment Cecere.

They are nightmare creatures, such as the giant squid, which has tentacles even 10 meters long and eyes of 17 centimeters in diameter. There are also octopus, crabs and giant jellyfish. The impression the Bathynomus giganteus, an abysmal isopod crustacean. “It looks like a land of earth, which in the ground is a maximum of one and a half centimeter long,” comments Cecere. “The isopod of the abysses, however, reaches up to 50 centimeters.”

Abysses also warm up

With climate change, the oceans also warm up. «With the same energy, they do it more slowly than soils, due to their high thermal capacity. And they cool more slowly »explains Antonello Pasini, physical of the CNR climate and author of the book The climatic challengejust out of Code Edizioni. «They take CO2 from the atmosphere, absorbing about a third of the emissions produced by human activity. But this leads to greater acidification, which has an impact on the food chain ».

Obviously the water warms more in the first 100-200 meters from the surface, but an increase in temperatures was detected up to 700 metersin a territory that is already part of the abysses. «Even if at two thousand meters the temperature has not varied, Climate change impacts on marine currents»Continues Pasini. The ocean currents transport warmer water from the equator to the north pole, from Iceland and Greenland cold water in the opposite direction, and are strategic for marine life. If this delicate mechanism jams, what would be the scenario? “Without the Gulf current, which mitigates the climate in Great Britain and Scandinavia, we risk having a Europe divided in two: in the north a mini was glacial, to the south an increasingly warm Mediterranean area »concludes Pasini.

A delicate balance at risk

The technology that in recent decades has us allowed to get to know the abysses better (see below) has a downside. “In the abyssal plains there are huge quantities of metals and minerals, polymented lounges rich in manganese, nickel, copper” explains the oceanographer Sandro Carniel. “And also immense reserves of” frozen “gas».

The abysses are seen as mines to be exploited. International law says that up to 12 marine miles (22.2 kilometers) from the coast the seabed belong to the coastal state, from 12 to 200 miles (370.4 kilometers) the waters are international, but the seabed is again of the closest coastal state, and beyond the 200 miles no state is the owner. «The United Nations International Convention on the Law of the Sea establishes that over 200 miles the High Seas, the high sea, they are a common heritage of humanity and their exploitation must take place according to international rules“Punctualizes Carniel. “To manage and regulate the exploitation of the seabed, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) was created”. Too bad that, in the absence of agreements, some states and companies have already put pressure to have mining and exploration extraction licenses.

Last April Trump, on the other hand, has signed an executive order to promote Deep Sea Mining (mineral extractions on the high seas) both in the American and international seabed, circumventing Isa and arousing China’s protests, according to which it is about violation of international law.

Beyond the laws and economic interests, scientists are worried and ask for a moratorium. «They are delicate environments, underwater extraction technologies are not yet sufficiently developed to minimize side effects. We need an approach based on responsibility and sustainability »comments Carniel. We risk destroying the biodiversity of the ocean seabed before even knowing it. The extraction will involve noises, vibrations, light pollution and possible introduction of toxic metals residues, Going to alter the ecosystems and affecting the fish heritage. We are still in time to stop.

All progress of marine exploration

We are in 1977. A small submarine, named Alvin, created for the sea depths, makes an exceptional discovery to Largo delle Galapagos, in what was considered an underwater desert. “Deep hydrothermal sources are found,” explains the oceanographer Sandro Carniel. «And from there it starts to understand that the very hot water comes out of the earth’s crust, capable of feeding a community of animals until then unknown. In short, life becomes possible even without sunlight ».

An example? The giant tube worm is an anellide up to a meter long. “He lives at 1500 meters deep near these springs, in water at 40 degrees rich in hydrogen sulphide” explains Cecere. “To feed, it makes use of bacteria which through chemical reactions produce organic substance”. After Alvin, ROBOT ROBOT (Remotely Operated Vehicles) begin to collect samples from the seabedeven five thousand meters deep, and to film. “The ROVs were remote controlled by a mother ship,” Carniel points out. “Today the drones AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicles) can map the seabed and acquire data by making autonomous missions, that is, without being philogued by a ship”.

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