The Deep-Sea Giants and Microplastics: Another Side of Human Conquest of the Mariana Trench

The Deep-Sea Giants and Microplastics: Another Side of Human Conquest of the Mariana TrenchPreface:Space and the deep sea, the ultimate frontiers of human exploration. Compared to the vast and boundless universe, the deep sea is more like the last mysterious virgin land on Earth

The Deep-Sea Giants and Microplastics: Another Side of Human Conquest of the Mariana Trench

Preface:

Space and the deep sea, the ultimate frontiers of human exploration. Compared to the vast and boundless universe, the deep sea is more like the last mysterious virgin land on Earth. Although human conquest of the deep sea has been more successful than space exploration, it also faces many challenges. As humans continue to explore the Mariana Trench, we have not only discovered the amazing adaptability of deep-sea creatures, but also witnessed the huge impact of human activities on the deep-sea environment, especially the seriousness of microplastic pollution.

The Mariana Trench: Earth's "Abyss"

The Mariana Trench, the deepest trench on Earth, has a maximum depth of over 10,900 meters at the "Challenger Deep." If Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, were thrown into the Mariana Trench, the entire mountain would be completely submerged.

Extreme Deep-Sea Environment: Survival Challenges under High Pressure

The enormous depth of the Mariana Trench signifies an extreme pressure environment. According to the pressure formula P=gh, the pressure at a depth of 11,000 meters in the Mariana Trench can reach 110 million Pascals, equivalent to 1000 times the atmospheric pressure.

Imagine dropping an empty iron box into the deep sea. It would be crushed into a sheet of metal at just a few thousand meters deep. For humans, the pressure at such depths would be equivalent to several thousand elephants standing on us, enough to crush us to pieces instantly.

Human Exploration of the Mariana Trench

Despite the dangers of the deep-sea environment, human exploration of the Mariana Trench has never stopped. As early as 1960, the "Trieste" submersible, developed by the Piccard father and son, successfully reached the bottom of the Mariana Trench for the first time, reaching a depth of 10,916 meters, setting the first world record for human deep diving.

In the decades that followed, with advances in technology, human exploration of the Mariana Trench continued to deepen. In 1984, Japanese scientists, using the high-energy exploration vessel "Takuyo," calculated that the maximum depth of the Mariana Trench was about 11,040.41 meters.

The Amazing Adaptability of Deep-Sea Creatures

We used to believe that the depths of the ocean below 2,000 meters were not conducive to life due to the enormous pressure. However, scientists have discovered a unique deep-sea creature the lionfish in areas deeper than 8,000 meters in the Mariana Trench.

The lionfish has a peculiar appearance, with a huge head, small eyes, no scales, and resembling a chubby meatball. This peculiar appearance is the result of its continuous evolution to adapt to the deep-sea environment, just like the ribbonfish, which evolved a flat body structure to adapt to the deep-sea environment.

The discovery of the lionfish suggests that even at deeper depths, there may be more unknown creatures waiting for us to explore and discover.

The Warning Bell of Deep-Sea Microplastic Pollution

However, while exploring the depths of the Mariana Trench, scientists discovered something alarming. They detected microplastic particles in the depths of the ocean, even at 10,000 meters deep.

Many people might think that plastics are less dense and will not sink to the bottom of the ocean, let alone to depths of thousands or tens of thousands of meters. However, this is wrong. Some plastics have high density and will sink like stones to the bottom of the ocean, while microplastic particles, especially those smaller than 2 millimeters in diameter, are more likely to bind to marine bio-particles or be accidentally ingested by marine organisms, thus being transported to even deeper waters.

The research team of Professor Peng Xiaotong from the Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, conducted research on microplastic particles in the Mariana Trench and published related research findings. The results showed that microplastic particles in seawater ranged from 200 to 2200 per liter at depths of 5108 to 10908 meters in the Mariana Trench.

The Harm of Deep-Sea Microplastic Pollution

This study shows that plastic pollution created by humans has spread to the deepest trenches on Earth, and even the remote Mariana Trench is not immune.

The impact of microplastic pollution on deep-sea organisms is not yet fully understood, but scientists have begun to recognize its potential dangers. Microplastic particles can be accidentally ingested by deep-sea creatures, entering the food chain and ultimately causing irreversible damage to marine ecosystems.

Conclusion:

Exploring the Mariana Trench not only reveals the amazing adaptability of deep-sea creatures but also shows us the impact of human activities on the deep-sea environment. The emergence of microplastic pollution is a warning bell, reminding us that humans need to pay more attention to marine environmental protection, reduce plastic pollution, and jointly guard the last piece of clean land on this planet.

Further Reading:

• Microplastics contaminate the deepest part of the worlds ocean

• [https://www.science.org/content/article/microplastics-contaminate-deepest-part-world-s-ocean](https://www.science.org/content/article/microplastics-contaminate-deepest-part-world-s-ocean)

• [https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.abe9907](https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.abe9907)

Related Keywords:

• Mariana Trench

• Deep Sea

• Microplastics

• Pollution

• Environmental Protection

• Deep-Sea Creatures

• Submersible

• Challenger Deep

• Marine Ecosystem

• Biodiversity

• Scientific Exploration

• Sustainable Development

• Earth

• Human Activity

• Deep-Sea Research

• Pressure Environment

• Adaptability

Image Materials:

• Mariana Trench

• Deep-sea creatures

• Microplastics

• Submersible

• Ocean Pollution

Summary:

Human exploration of the deep sea has not only revealed the mysteries of deep-sea creatures but also shown us the impact of human activities on the deep-sea environment. The emergence of microplastic pollution is a warning bell, reminding us that humans need to pay more attention to marine environmental protection and jointly guard the last piece of clean land on this planet.

I hope this article will help you learn more about the Mariana Trench and the deep-sea environment and inspire your awareness of marine conservation.

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