Latest news with #ShanaGoffredi
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
3,000 Feet Beneath the Ocean, Scientists Found Spiders With a Hidden Superpower
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: In 2023, scientists from the Occidental College of Los Angeles collected 36 specimens of sea spider living near methane seeps along the Pacific Coast from California to Alaska. Upon examining the arachnid-like creatures, they discovered that these deep sea species form a symbiotic relationship with methylotrophic bacteria, which provide a food source in the pitch dark aphotic zone. This new study paints a more complete picture of how the deep sea helps keep methane (a potent greenhouse gas) from escaping into the atmosphere. When you live in the ocean's aphotic zone, where absolute darkness reigns, you need some creative solutions to some pretty existential questions. Chief among them: what are you going to eat? For a variety of ocean floor-dwelling species, including mussels, worms, and sponges, that answer lies with chemosynthetic bacteria—organisms that flourish around methane seeps where the gas escapes the Earth's crust. A new study shows that three species of the sea spider genus Sericosura also demonstrate a similar ability, which helps explain why these spindly-legged organisms are found in such abundance near methane seeps. The results of the study were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Despite the name, sea spiders aren't actually spiders (though, that'll likely be of little comfort to an arachnophobe). Although they look remarkably similar, sea spiders have a thinner cephalothorax than their eight-legged land-based lookalikes, and their legs tend to have more joints. Oh, and they also live in the deep ocean—one of biology's true final frontiers of scientific inquiry. This hard-to-reach ecosystem is why many aspects of their lives remain a mystery. 'Our study aimed to examine the ways in which often overlooked animals might take advantage of novel energy sources, such as methane,' Shana Goffredi, the senior author of the study from the Occidental College of Los Angeles, said in a press statement. 'While the deep sea feels far away, all organisms are interconnected, and the processes in one ecosystem affect another.' In 2023, Goffredi—along with two students, including Bianca Dal Bó—embarked on a two-week research expedition on the R/V Atlantis to study these creatures in their deep-sea habitats. With the help of a piloted submersible named Alvin, they examined and collected sea spider specimens located 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) below the ocean surface from the Del Mar and Palos Verdes seeps in California and the Sanak seep in Alaska. Of the 36 specimens recovered, three of the spiders represented entirely new species. 'I had seen animal samples in preservatives in the lab for so long, so it was beautiful to finally see them moving around in their natural habitat,' Dal Bó said in a press statement. 'It made me feel all the more connected to my project and these fascinating ecosystems.' While performing experiments on board, Goffredi and Dal Bó incubated the sea spiders in seawater with methanol and a heavy isotope of methane. Because this isotope is rare in nature, the researchers could track its impact on the sea spiders, including if it was ingested. They found that methylotrophic bacteria located on the sea spiders' exoskeletons served as a source of a food. 'Evidence from tissue isotopic analysis, microbiome sequencing, and live-animal incubations followed by 13C-methane isotope probing confirms active incorporation of methane-derived carbon into spider tissues,' the authors wrote. 'This research highlights a previously unknown interaction between an animal lineage and chemically fueled microbes, introducing another symbiotic pathway for direct microbial transfer of methane carbon into animal biomass in the deep sea.' This transfer of methane carbon into animal biomass is particularly important for scientists to understand, as methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases. Sea spiders—with the help of other deep ocean-dwelling animals—are doing their part to keep these gases locked away in the ocean, so they don't reach the atmosphere and exacerbate the ongoing climate crisis. 'While the deep sea feels really far away, all organisms are interconnected,' Goffredi told CNN. 'Even though they're small, these animals have a big impact in that environment. We can't ever hope to sustainably (use) the oceans if we don't really understand the oceans.' You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
3 new sea spiders discovered on ocean floor are first known species to feast on methane
Even thousands of feet below the water's surface, no arachnophobe is truly safe from spiders. And, thanks to a recent discovery by a team of scientists, three more species have been added to the list of sea-dwelling arthropods — with the special distinction of being what researchers called "methane-powered." Three new types of spiders were recently found in deep-sea habitats, far beyond the reach of sunlight, according to research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Shana Goffredi, the study's lead author and chair of biology at Occidental College in Los Angeles, told USA TODAY that researchers found the first new species in July 2023 off the coast of Del Mar, California, a beach town about 20 miles north of San Diego. Scientists then discovered the other new species off the coasts of California and Alaska, Goffredi said, adding they live between 600 and 1,200 meters below the surface. Some are as large as a grain of rice, according to the professor. Others, much larger. "They belong to an interesting group of sea spiders that have only ever been found at very specialized habitats on the seafloor called methane seeps," Goffredi said. Some species also live at hydrothermal vents, or geothermally heated mineral-rich springs on the sea bottom. "Because they are localized to these specialized habitats, we had a suspicion that they were tied to the high-energy compounds that emanate from the seafloor in those locations," Goffredi continued. "By conducting shipboard experiments, we were able to show definitively that they use methane, through bacterial epibionts that live on their exoskeleton. By farming them, and then consuming them, they take advantage of a nutritional resource that is not common in the animal kingdom." As of Friday, June 20, scientists said they continued to study the spiders' complete role in the ecosystem. "We don't yet know their full role in their ecosystem just yet. It's pretty hard to do behavioral observations in the deep sea," Goffredi said. "But no doubt they are a prey source for other organisms and they probably help distribute organic carbon to other areas of the seafloor." By growing what researchers called "a crop of methane-oxidizing bacteria" that consume methane molecules on their exoskeleton, the spiders help the planet's larger ecosystem by acting as a biological filter to prevent methane from escaping from the deep sea. Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Scientists discover new sea spider species that eats methane
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists discover first sea spiders powered by methane-fed microbes in deep Pacific
Methane is a menace to Earth's climate, but to tiny spiders in the pitch-black depths of the ocean, it's fuel for life. In a bizarre twist of nature, scientists have discovered three previously unknown species of sea spiders thriving around methane seeps off the U.S. West Coast. Far from the sunlit world, these translucent, alien-like creatures survive not by hunting prey but by farming bacteria on their own exoskeletons. The microbes feast on methane leaking from the seafloor and, in return, produce sugars and fats, turning the spiders into living ecosystems that graze on their own microbial coats. 'Just like you would eat eggs for breakfast, the sea spider grazes the surface of its body, and it munches all those bacteria for nutrition,' said Shana Goffredi, a professor at Occidental College in Los Angeles and the lead author of the study. 'This unique nutrition strategy has never been observed in sea spiders before.' Unlike their fang-wielding cousins that pierce and suck fluids from soft-bodied prey, these newly discovered Sericosura species appear to lack the tools to hunt. Instead, they feed by simply grazing the bacteria that coat their bodies—organisms that convert methane and oxygen into energy-rich nutrients. 'While the deep sea feels really far away, all organisms are interconnected. Even though they're small, these animals have a big impact in that environment,' Goffredi said. 'We can't ever hope to sustainably (use) the oceans if we don't really understand the oceans.' 'More than a clever survival trick, this symbiotic relationship may help trap climate-warming methane before it escapes into the atmosphere. Though tiny, these spiders and their microbial hitchhikers could be unsung custodians of the carbon cycle in one of Earth's most extreme ecosystems.' And it all happens in total darkness At depths where sunlight never penetrates, life thrives not through photosynthesis but chemosynthesis—an energy process driven by chemicals like methane. As dead marine matter sinks and decomposes, it releases methane through cracks in the seafloor, creating nutrient-rich zones where only the most uniquely adapted species can survive. While the Sericosura spiders are the first of their kind caught feeding on methane-fueled microbes, they're not alone in their unusual diet. Other creatures, like tube worms and sponges, are also known to rely on similar microbial partners. Given the deep ocean's critical role in trapping methane, Goffredi believes the same microbes found on these spiders could one day be harnessed to clean up contaminated water in other environments. The newly identified Sericosura species are tiny—barely 1 centimeter long—and nearly transparent, which limits their ability to roam. In fact, the three species studied were each found in different regions off the coasts of Southern California and Alaska, suggesting that their populations are highly localized. Their reproductive process is just as strange as their diet. Because these spiders are so small, many of their organs are tucked into their legs. When mating, females eject hundreds of eggs from their kneecaps, which the males gather and carry around in sac-like bundles wrapped around their limbs, like bracelets. Once the eggs hatch, a new cycle begins. Bacteria clinging to the father's body are passed to the baby spiders, giving them an instant, built-in food source. 'People tend to think of the deep sea as a kind of homogeneous ecosystem, but that's actually untrue. There's a lot of biodiversity by region and animals are very localized to specific habitats on the seafloor,' Goffredi said. 'You have to be very careful if you decide to use the seafloor for mining, for example. We don't want to cause any kind of irreparable harm to very specific habitats that aren't found anywhere else.' The study has been published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
First methane-powered sea spiders found crawling on the ocean floor
Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. Heat-trapping methane may be best known for the dangers it poses to humans and Earth's atmosphere, but in the dark depths of the ocean, the greenhouse gas is a nourishing meal for some of the world's most mysterious creatures, new research suggests. Scientists say they have discovered three previously unknown, unnamed species of sea spider off the US West Coast that could be teaming up with bacteria to thrive off gas bubbling from the seafloor in sparsely studied marine habitats known as methane seeps thousands of feet below the ocean's surface. In this symbiotic relationship, bacteria take up real estate on the spider's exoskeletons, and in return, the microbes convert carbon-rich methane and oxygen into sugars and fats the spiders can eat, according to a study published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 'Just like you would eat eggs for breakfast, the sea spider grazes the surface of its body, and it munches all those bacteria for nutrition,' said Shana Goffredi, a professor and chair of biology at Occidental College in Los Angeles and the study's principal investigator. This unique nutrition strategy has never been observed in sea spiders before, she said. Other species of sea spider share more in common with their terrestrial cousins, using large tubelike fangs to capture, immobilize and suck the fluids from soft-bodied prey, such as jellyfish, Goffredi explained. But lab observations of the newfound species, part of the Sericosura genus, revealed they lack the necessary appendages to capture prey, making them more akin to farmers harvesting methane-fueled bacteria from their own bodies. It's possible the spiders and their hitchhiking microbes play a crucial role in preventing methane — a natural gas thought to exacerbate global warming — from reaching Earth's atmosphere, according to Goffredi. 'While the deep sea feels really far away, all organisms are interconnected. Even though they're small, these animals have a big impact in that environment,' Goffredi said. 'We can't ever hope to sustainably (use) the oceans if we don't really understand the oceans.' Light from the sun doesn't reach the deep-sea ecosystem where the newly described Sericosura spider species make their home. To survive in this dark environment, microbes evolved to use chemicals — instead of sunlight — for energy, explained marine biologist Nicole Dubilier, a professor and director of the department of symbiosis at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Germany. Dubilier was not involved in the study. After marine life dies, it sinks to the seafloor and becomes buried, Dubilier said. In the process of decomposition, methane gas is released, escaping through the cracks of sediment as bubbles. Instead of floating away with the whims of the water column, the microbes that feed on the methane attach themselves to sea animals to remain among the bubbles. By analyzing isotopes in the spiders' tissues, the scientists determined the bacteria weren't just hitching a ride from an eight-legged friend — they were also being eaten. 'This is really the beauty of the symbiosis between the two: The bacteria get that perfect Goldilocks zone with everything they need,' Dubilier said. 'Even if 80% of the population are eaten (by the spiders), it's worth it for the 20% to keep surviving and reproducing.' While these Sericosura species are the first sea spiders caught feeding on the methane-fueled microbes, other deep-sea animals such as tube worms and sponges are known to share the rare diet, Dubilier noted. Since the deep-sea ecosystem likely plays such a key role in keeping methane away from Earth's atmosphere, Goffredi said one day, the same type of microbes found on the Sericosura spiders could be cultured to reduce water contaminants elsewhere. The newly discovered Sericosura spiders are translucent and only span about 0.4 inch (1 centimeter) in length, so they likely can't travel very far, Goffredi said. In fact, each of the three sea spider species collected for the study were from different areas off the coast of Southern California and Alaska — a clue that the populations are highly localized. Since the spiders are so small, many of their organs are found inside of their appendages. To mate, the female spiders shoot hundreds of eggs from their kneecaps, which the male spiders collect into saclike bundles looped around their legs like bracelets, the study found. Once the eggs hatched, Goffredi's team noticed bacteria living on the father spiders attached itself to the hatchlings, providing them with an early source of food. Studying microbiome inheritance in animals could potentially help scientists understand more about how humans' gut bacteria, for example, is passed between mothers and newborn children, Dubilier said. Further exploration of the seafloor could also uncover additional, similar sea spider species, Goffredi said. 'People tend to think of the deep sea as a kind of homogeneous ecosystem, but that's actually untrue. There's a lot of biodiversity by region and animals are very localized to specific habitats on the seafloor,' Goffredi said. 'You have to be very careful if you decide to use the seafloor for mining, for example. We don't want to cause any kind of irreparable harm to very specific habitats that aren't found anywhere else.'
CNN
17-06-2025
- Science
- CNN
First methane-powered sea spiders found crawling on the ocean floor
Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. Heat-trapping methane may be best known for the dangers it poses to humans and Earth's atmosphere, but in the dark depths of the ocean, the greenhouse gas is a nourishing meal for some of the world's most mysterious creatures, new research suggests. Scientists say they have discovered three previously unknown, unnamed species of sea spider off the US West Coast that could be teaming up with bacteria to thrive off gas bubbling from the seafloor in sparsely studied marine habitats known as methane seeps thousands of feet below the ocean's surface. In this symbiotic relationship, bacteria take up real estate on the spider's exoskeletons, and in return, the microbes convert carbon-rich methane and oxygen into sugars and fats the spiders can eat, according to a study published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 'Just like you would eat eggs for breakfast, the sea spider grazes the surface of its body, and it munches all those bacteria for nutrition,' said Shana Goffredi, a professor and chair of biology at Occidental College in Los Angeles and the study's principal investigator. This unique nutrition strategy has never been observed in sea spiders before, she said. Other species of sea spider share more in common with their terrestrial cousins, using large tubelike fangs to capture, immobilize and suck the fluids from soft-bodied prey, such as jellyfish, Goffredi explained. But lab observations of the newfound species, part of the Sericosura genus, revealed they lack the necessary appendages to capture prey, making them more akin to farmers harvesting methane-fueled bacteria from their own bodies. It's possible the spiders and their hitchhiking microbes play a crucial role in preventing methane — a natural gas thought to exacerbate global warming — from reaching Earth's atmosphere, according to Goffredi. 'While the deep sea feels really far away, all organisms are interconnected. Even though they're small, these animals have a big impact in that environment,' Goffredi said. 'We can't ever hope to sustainably (use) the oceans if we don't really understand the oceans.' Light from the sun doesn't reach the deep-sea ecosystem where the newly described Sericosura spider species make their home. To survive in this dark environment, microbes evolved to use chemicals — instead of sunlight — for energy, explained marine biologist Nicole Dubilier, a professor and director of the department of symbiosis at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Germany. Dubilier was not involved in the study. After marine life dies, it sinks to the seafloor and becomes buried, Dubilier said. In the process of decomposition, methane gas is released, escaping through the cracks of sediment as bubbles. Instead of floating away with the whims of the water column, the microbes that feed on the methane attach themselves to sea animals to remain among the bubbles. By analyzing isotopes in the spiders' tissues, the scientists determined the bacteria weren't just hitching a ride from an eight-legged friend — they were also being eaten. Related video Researchers capture elusive squid on camera 'This is really the beauty of the symbiosis between the two: The bacteria get that perfect Goldilocks zone with everything they need,' Dubilier said. 'Even if 80% of the population are eaten (by the spiders), it's worth it for the 20% to keep surviving and reproducing.' While these Sericosura species are the first sea spiders caught feeding on the methane-fueled microbes, other deep-sea animals such as tube worms and sponges are known to share the rare diet, Dubilier noted. Since the deep-sea ecosystem likely plays such a key role in keeping methane away from Earth's atmosphere, Goffredi said one day, the same type of microbes found on the Sericosura spiders could be cultured to reduce water contaminants elsewhere. The newly discovered Sericosura spiders are translucent and only span about 0.4 inch (1 centimeter) in length, so they likely can't travel very far, Goffredi said. In fact, each of the three sea spider species collected for the study were from different areas off the coast of Southern California and Alaska — a clue that the populations are highly localized. Since the spiders are so small, many of their organs are found inside of their appendages. To mate, the female spiders shoot hundreds of eggs from their kneecaps, which the male spiders collect into saclike bundles looped around their legs like bracelets, the study found. Once the eggs hatched, Goffredi's team noticed bacteria living on the father spiders attached itself to the hatchlings, providing them with an early source of food. Studying microbiome inheritance in animals could potentially help scientists understand more about how humans' gut bacteria, for example, is passed between mothers and newborn children, Dubilier said. Further exploration of the seafloor could also uncover additional, similar sea spider species, Goffredi said. 'People tend to think of the deep sea as a kind of homogeneous ecosystem, but that's actually untrue. There's a lot of biodiversity by region and animals are very localized to specific habitats on the seafloor,' Goffredi said. 'You have to be very careful if you decide to use the seafloor for mining, for example. We don't want to cause any kind of irreparable harm to very specific habitats that aren't found anywhere else.'
