International Journal of Marine Science, 2024, Vol.14, No.2, 111-119 http://www.aquapublisher.com/index.php/ijms 114 Figure 2 Chemical cycling of microbial sediments in deep-sea cold spring areas (Adopted from Chen et al., 2023) Deep sea microorganisms possess unique metabolic pathways and high levels of biosynthesis ability. They can utilize special compounds that are difficult to obtain on land as energy and carbon sources, as well as synthesize bioactive substances with special functions, such as antibiotics, enzymes, and biotoxins. This provides new resources and application prospects for the research and development of marine drugs and biotechnology. 2.3 Analysis of the adaptation mechanism of new species to the deep sea environment The discovery of new species in the deep sea has inspired scientists to conduct extensive research on their ecological roles and adaptive mechanisms, revealing how life survives in some of the most extreme environments on earth. The challenges faced by these organisms include hypoxia, high pressure, low temperature, and scarcity of food resources. The adaptive mechanisms they exhibit not only demonstrate the resilience of life, but also provide a new perspective for understanding the limits of life. A key adaptive feature is the adaptation of deep-sea organisms to extreme stress. The pressure of the deep-sea environment far exceeds that of the Earth's surface, which poses a huge challenge to the integrity of cell structures and biomolecules. In order to adapt to this high-pressure environment, the cell membranes of some deep-sea organisms contain special fatty acids. These fatty acids can maintain the fluidity of the membrane under high pressure (Tamby et al., 2023), ensuring the normal performance of cell functions. Proteins in these organisms also exhibit unique stability and are able to maintain their three-dimensional structure and function in high-pressure environments, often through the substitution of specific amino acids in the protein sequence. In order to survive in anoxic and low-temperature environments, some deep-sea microorganisms have developed chemical energy synthesis pathways that rely on inorganic compounds such as sulfide or methane as a means of obtaining energy. This metabolic strategy allows them to thrive in deep-sea environments that lack photosynthesis. There are also many deep-sea organisms that contain antifreeze proteins, which prevent body fluids from freezing and protect cells from ice crystal damage. The existence of these microorganisms is not only an important primary producer in deep-sea ecosystems, but also plays a key role in the global carbon cycle and energy flow. 3 Scientific and Environmental Significance of Discovering New Species 3.1 Contribution of new species discovery to the theory of biological evolution The discovery of new species occupies a central position in the study of biological diversity and evolutionary theory, and is of immeasurable value in revealing the distribution and evolution of life on earth. Taking the new species of Squatiniformes discovered in the deep-sea environment as an example, this discovery not only expands people's understanding of the biodiversity of deep-sea ecosystems, but also provides important clues for understanding the adaptive changes of fish in the evolutionary process.
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