Chinese scientists discover 32 species living 5.6 miles beneath Pacific Ocean

Chinese researchers used the crewed submersible Fendouzhe to make 98 dives across seven Pacific hadal trenches.

They documented 32 species in the deepest ocean zones, including newly identified families of foraminifera and bryozoans.

The team found these animals feed on organic debris, not chemosynthesis, showing a functioning carbon-cycling ecosystem.

The discovery suggests deep trench communities may be far more widespread and diverse than previously believed.