Deep-Ocean Microbes Rewrite Carbon Storage Science
Scientists are learning more about how oceans store carbon. New research from UC Santa Barbara challenges long-held beliefs. As a result, experts now see the deep ocean in a new way.The study appears in Nature Geoscience. It focuses on how microbes fix carbon far below sunlight. However, the findings show earlier models missed a key part of the story.
Ocean Matters for Climate
The ocean absorbs about one-third of human-made carbon dioxide. Therefore, it plays a major role in climate balance. Carbon must sink deep to stay stored for long periods.Microscopic life helps move and store this carbon. For example, surface plankton use sunlight to fix carbon.
Scientists once thought similar processes dominated the deep ocean.Researchers believed deep-ocean archaea fixed carbon using nitrogen energy. However, the math did not work. There was not enough energy to support the measured carbon fixation.This mismatch puzzled scientists for years. In addition, earlier ideas about higher efficiency failed to explain it.
The carbon numbers still seemed too high.
Testing a New Idea
The team tried a different method. They blocked ammonia-oxidizing microbes using a safe chemical inhibitor. If those microbes drove carbon fixation, rates should have dropped sharply.Instead, carbon fixation stayed mostly the same. Therefore, other microbes had to be involved.This result surprised the research team.
Heterotrophs Step Into the Spotlight
Scientists now point to heterotrophic microbes. These organisms usually eat organic matter. However, they also absorb inorganic carbon.This discovery fills a major knowledge gap. As a result, researchers can better track deep-ocean carbon storage. It also reshapes how scientists view the deep-sea food web.Researchers will explore links between carbon and other elements. These include nitrogen, iron, and copper. They also want to know how fixed carbon feeds other organisms.Understanding this process helps everyone. After all, ocean health supports life across the planet.
