At the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, in an area rich in precious metals, Chinese researchers have identified 11,742 virus groups. For 11,662 of them, no match was found in the reference databases used. The results were published in the journal Nature Communications, and the study is presented as a baseline assessment of the microbial ecosystem before possible future mining.
We are talking about the Clarion-Clipperton zone, located between Mexico and Hawaii, at a depth of about 6,000 meters. The seabed there is covered with billions of polymetallic nodules, which contain nickel, cobalt and manganese. According to estimates cited by the South China Morning Post, the potential reserves of these metals may exceed the total known deposits on land.
How the viruses were discovered
The team analyzed 60 samples of bottom sediments. The new samples were collected in 2023 and 2024 from 14 stations in the western part of the zone, and the material was taken from the upper 16 centimeters of the seabed. Genetic analysis allowed viral sequences to be traced without the viruses themselves being isolated and grown in a laboratory.
The authors emphasize that the discovered viruses should not be associated with a new threat to humans. Most probably infect bacteria and archaea - single-celled microorganisms that participate in the cycle of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur and metals. “By infecting key functional microbes, viruses can alter the metabolism and survival of their hosts,“ the researchers write.
What mining could change
Industrial mining in the area has not yet begun, but the International Seabed Authority has issued 17 exploration contracts, five of which are related to China. The polymetallic nodules are of significant interest because they contain metals used in electronics and battery production.
According to the researchers, potential mining activities could lead to physical displacement, resuspension and deposition of sediments. This could change the environment in which viruses and their microbial hosts participate in biogeochemical processes. Viruses may also help microorganisms adapt to high metal loads, but the actual effect of any potential extraction is yet to be established.
The study does not prove that all the sequences discovered represent officially described new virus species. It shows that more than 99% of the viral groups do not overlap with available genetic databases. The authors point out that further observations and experiments are needed to clarify their hosts, activity and role in the ecosystem.
Sources: scmp.com, sciencealert.com