Latest news with #symbiosis
Sustainability Times
18 hours ago
- Science
- Sustainability Times
'We Found Alien-Like Creatures Feeding on Methane': Sea Spiders Survive on Microbes in One of Earth's Strangest Ecosystems
IN A NUTSHELL 🕷️ Scientists discovered three new species of sea spiders that graze on methane-eating microbes in the ocean depths. that graze on in the ocean depths. 🌊 These spiders thrive through a unique symbiotic relationship , where microbes convert methane into nutrients directly on their exoskeletons. , where microbes convert methane into nutrients directly on their exoskeletons. 🦠 The findings highlight the deep ocean's role in the carbon cycle and its potential in mitigating climate change . and its potential in mitigating . 🔬 The discovery opens doors for using these microbes in environmental remediation, offering new solutions to ecological challenges. In the mysterious depths of the ocean, where sunlight never reaches, a groundbreaking discovery has emerged that challenges our understanding of marine life. Scientists have uncovered three new species of sea spiders that survive not by preying on others but through a unique form of symbiosis. These tiny creatures, residing in the methane-rich environments off the U.S. West Coast, rely on methane-eating microbes for sustenance. This discovery not only provides insights into the adaptability of life in extreme conditions but also highlights the interconnectedness of Earth's ecosystems. The Unusual Diet of Sea Spiders Unlike traditional spiders, which capture and consume prey, the newly discovered sea spiders of the Sericosura genus have adopted a remarkable strategy for survival. Instead of hunting, these spiders graze on bacteria that thrive on their exoskeletons. These bacteria harness the energy from methane seeping through the ocean floor, converting it into sugars and fats that nourish their arachnid hosts. This symbiotic relationship is a novel adaptation that allows the spiders to thrive in an environment devoid of sunlight and typical food sources. The process is akin to having a self-sustaining farm right on their bodies. As Shana Goffredi from Occidental College explains, the sea spiders consume these bacteria much like humans would eat breakfast, by simply grazing the surface of their own bodies. This unique feeding strategy highlights the complex and innovative ways life can adapt to extreme conditions. Moreover, it underscores the importance of methane-fueled ecosystems in maintaining the delicate balance of our planet's carbon cycle. 'This Species Was Gone for 120 Years': Stunning Rediscovery in South America Stuns Scientists and Ignites Conservation Hopes The Role of Methane in the Ocean's Depths Methane, often considered a menace to Earth's climate, plays a crucial role in supporting life in the ocean's dark recesses. In the absence of sunlight, life forms in these regions rely on chemosynthesis, a process driven by chemicals like methane. As organic matter decomposes on the ocean floor, it releases methane, creating nutrient-rich zones that support diverse ecosystems. The newly discovered sea spiders are just one example of the incredible biodiversity that thrives in these methane seeps. Research indicates that the microbes inhabiting the sea spiders may help trap climate-warming methane before it escapes into the atmosphere. This discovery opens up possibilities for using these microbes in bioremediation efforts to clean contaminated water in other environments. By understanding how these organisms function in extreme conditions, scientists can explore new ways to mitigate the impact of greenhouse gases on our planet. '100 Men vs. 1 Gorilla': Science Settled This Ancient Debate, and the Real Winner Will Shock You to the Core The Intriguing Life Cycle of Sericosura Spiders The life cycle of the Sericosura sea spiders is as fascinating as their diet. These creatures are minuscule, measuring barely 0.4 inches in length, and their nearly transparent bodies limit their ability to roam. Despite their small size, they have developed a unique reproductive strategy. Females release hundreds of eggs from their kneecaps, which males gather and carry around in bundles wrapped around their legs. This peculiar behavior ensures the continuation of their species in an environment where survival is a constant challenge. Once the eggs hatch, the young spiders inherit the symbiotic bacteria from their fathers, providing them with an immediate food source. This efficient method of food transfer ensures that the next generation is equipped to thrive in their methane-rich habitat. The localized populations of these spiders suggest a high degree of specialization, emphasizing the importance of preserving their unique ecosystems from human activities such as deep-sea mining. 'Predator Found at 26,000 Feet': Scientists Discover First-Ever Hunter Living in the Abyss of an 8,000-Meter Ocean Trench Implications for Our Understanding of Marine Ecosystems The discovery of these methane-grazing sea spiders underscores the complexity and diversity of life in the deep sea. Contrary to popular belief, the deep ocean is not a homogeneous environment but a vibrant tapestry of distinct ecosystems. Each region supports unique species that have adapted to their specific conditions. As Shana Goffredi notes, understanding these ecosystems is crucial for sustainable ocean use and conservation efforts. The insights gained from studying these spiders and their microbial partners could inform future efforts to harness similar organisms for environmental remediation. By exploring the hidden corners of our oceans, we can uncover solutions to some of the most pressing environmental challenges. These discoveries remind us of the intricate connections between all living organisms and the importance of preserving the natural world for future generations. As we continue to explore the depths of our oceans, what other remarkable adaptations and symbiotic relationships might we uncover that could help us address the environmental challenges facing our planet today? Our author used artificial intelligence to enhance this article. Did you like it? 4.6/5 (28)
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.'
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.'
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.'
