Comments on: New species and surprising findings in the Mariana Trench /news/2015/01/05/new-species-and-surprising-findings-in-the-mariana-trench/ News from the University of Hawaii Sat, 16 Oct 2021 01:10:51 +0000 hourly 1 By: Jeff Drazen /news/2015/01/05/new-species-and-surprising-findings-in-the-mariana-trench/#comment-332201 Thu, 28 May 2015 22:52:10 +0000 http://www.hawaii.edu/news/?p=30483#comment-332201 Thank you for your interest! We have indeed learned a lot about how these animals are adapted to great pressure. One such adaptation is that these fishes have small molecules called piezolytes in their cells. They act as chaperones to protect enzymes and other proteins from being “broken” by the high pressures.

This is a field of study being led by colleague Paul Yancey (Whitman college). Many fishes have piezolytes and there are more and more the deeper a fish lives. In a way they act as salts (osmolytes more accurately) and we think that the depth limit for fishes (about 8000m) is determined by the point at which they become as salty as seawater, a condition they don’t seem to be able to tolerate. But other animals in the trench do live deeper. Paul is finding out what they do to cope with pressure right now.

Aloha, Jeff Drazen

]]> By: Mandi Fields /news/2015/01/05/new-species-and-surprising-findings-in-the-mariana-trench/#comment-332122 Thu, 28 May 2015 06:15:55 +0000 http://www.hawaii.edu/news/?p=30483#comment-332122 This is such an exciting time for deep Sea exploration. I have always been excited about the unseen or extreme deep depths of the ocean, (from a distance of course, the ocean can be down right scary) and its wonderful, the thought of finding new species at such deep depths, hopefully it will teach us something how they adapt to the pressures of living in an abyss. It makes me want to learn more. Thank you for sharing the amazing stories of deep sea travels and amazing finds. I hope to read more Soon, Sincerely, Mandi Fields

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