A 2025 study of samples from the Mariana Trench, Yap Trench and Philippine Basin identified 7,564 microbial species; 89.4% were previously unreported in the study’s comparisons, according to Phys.org’s account of the findings. That does not mean researchers formally named thousands of new species. The work maps microbial diversity in a limited set of samples from the hadal zone, the ocean region deeper than 6,000 meters.
What the study found
The MEER study reported a microbial dataset with little overlap with global deep-sea datasets. Its authors described substantial novelty, diversity and variation among the organisms observed, particularly prokaryotes and viruses. The 89.4% figure refers to microbes considered previously unreported in the comparisons used by the study; it is not, by itself, a count of formally described species.
The study also found that environmental selection was an important influence on how microbial communities assembled. The report links community patterns to extreme environmental pressures and differences in seafloor topography. These findings apply to the sampled regions and dataset, not every part of the hadal ocean.
Where and how the samples were collected
During the TS21 expedition, which ran from August to November 2021, researchers conducted 33 dives in the Mariana Trench, Yap Trench and Philippine Basin. They collected 1,648 sediment samples and 12 seawater filtrates in place, at depths from 6,000 to 10,900 meters. The report says 1,194 samples were sequenced, producing a 92-terabase-pair dataset.
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The analysis combined metagenomic sequencing with 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. These approaches let researchers characterize genetic material in sampled communities; they do not turn every detected organism into a cultured, fully characterized or formally named species. The scale of sequencing is substantial, but the number of sequenced samples is smaller than the total number collected.
Why “previously unreported” is more precise than “new species”
“New species” can suggest that scientists have established a species as taxonomically distinct and formally named or described it. The reported 89.4% figure supports a narrower claim: those microbes were previously unreported in the comparisons used for the study account. The distinction matters because detecting genetic sequences that differ from known records is not the same as completing formal taxonomic description.
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The paper is titled “Microbial ecosystems and ecological driving forces in the deepest ocean sediments” and appeared in Cell in 2025 (DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.12.036). The reported account does not establish that all 7,564 identified species received formal descriptions.
What these findings do—and do not—say about the deep ocean
The hadal environment is characterized by extreme pressure, near-freezing conditions and limited nutrients. The study describes how microbial communities vary in this demanding setting, but its samples cover particular sites and depths rather than the entire hadal zone. Amphipods and snailfish are part of the broader setting, but the central finding here concerns microbes.
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Xiao Xiang, identified by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University release as the MEER initiative’s convening scientist, said: “Our research showed the hadal zone microbes exhibit extraordinary novelty and diversity, demonstrating the immense resource potential of the hadal microorganisms in terms of new genes, new structures and new functions.” This describes potential for future investigation; the report does not establish a resulting product, treatment or commercial application.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Does the discovery show a risk to people?
No human health risk is established by the reported findings. Finding previously unreported microbes in deep-ocean samples is not evidence that they cause disease or pose a danger to people. The study account does not provide evidence to assess a specific health hazard, so it would be unwarranted to infer one from novelty alone.
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