Scientists Stunned by Discovery of Mysterious ‘Dark Oxygen’ on Ocean Floor
Researchers have uncovered a perplexing phenomenon on Earth’s deep-ocean floor: metallic minerals are triggering chemical reactions that produce a form of “dark oxygen,” leaving scientists astonished. Published on July 22 in *Nature Geoscience*, the study reveals that oxygen is being generated without any biological involvement.
The study challenges the long-standing belief that only photosynthetic organisms like plants and algae can produce oxygen. The research, titled “Evidence of Dark Oxygen Production at the Abysmal Seafloor,” proposes that oxygen can be created in the lightless depths of the ocean to support aerobic marine life that thrives in darkness.
Andrew Sweetman from the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) made the discovery during fieldwork in the Pacific Ocean. Alongside Franz Geiger from Northwestern University, who led the electrochemistry experiments, Sweetman observed the unexpected oxygen production while studying sea-floor ecosystems in the Clarion–Clipperton Zone.
Initially suspecting equipment malfunctions, the team repeatedly encountered the same unusual oxygen readings over ten years. The breakthrough came when a backup method confirmed the results, revealing a groundbreaking and previously unconsidered process.
The research highlights the role of polymetallic nodules—naturally occurring mineral deposits on the ocean floor—in this phenomenon. These nodules, which contain crucial elements like cobalt, nickel, copper, lithium, and manganese, are vital for battery production. As mining companies eye these deep-sea resources, there is a call to reconsider extraction methods to avoid depleting the oxygen source vital for deep-sea life.
Sweetman, leading SAMS’s Seafloor Ecology and Biogeochemistry research group, described the finding as one of the most exciting in recent ocean science, prompting a reevaluation of how and where aerobic life may have originated.
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