Deep-sea organisms research oriented by deep-sea technologies development

利器善事:深海装备引领深海生物科学发展

Deep-sea environment,characterized by high pressures,extremely high/low temperatures,limited photosynthesis-generated organic matter,darkness,and high levels of corrosion,is home to flourishing special ecosystems in the world.Here,we illustrate how the deep-sea equipment offers insights into the study of life in the deep sea based on the work in the past five decades.We first describe how organisms in the deep sea are studied,even though it is highly difficult to get access to such extreme environments.We then explain the role of deep-sea technologies in advancing research on the evolution of organisms in hydrothermal vents,cold seeps,seamounts,oceanic trenches,and whale falls from the following perspectives:biological diversity,mechanisms of environmental adaptation,biological evolution,and ecosystem connectivity.Finally,to better understand the function and service of deep-sea organisms,and further conserve the special creatures under anthropologic activity and climate change,we highlight the importance of innovative deep-sea technologies to promote cutting-edge research on deep-sea organisms,and note the remaining challenges and developing directions for deep-sea equipment.

深海环境高压、高/低温、强腐蚀、黑暗和营养缺乏等特点孕育了生机蓬勃的特殊生态系统.本文回顾了过去50年深海生物学的研究进展.首先,分析阐明了深海装备技术如何促进深海生物研究的深入发展.然后,概述了深海环境中的生物研究的发展历程;从生物多样性、环境适应机制、生物进化过程和生态系统连通性四个方面解析了深海技术对热液、冷泉、海山、海沟及鲸落等生态系统研究的促进作用.最后,为提升深海生态系统的服务功能研究,以及更好地保护受人类活动和气候变化影响的深海特殊生态系统,本文阐述了深海装备技术创新对促进深海生物及生态系统前沿研究的重要性,并提出了以深海生物研究为导向的深海装备技术未来的潜在发展方向.