Proliferation of hydrocarbon-degrading microbes at the bottom of the Mariana Trench

The Mariana Trench is the deepest known site in the Earth's oceans, reaching a depth of ~ 11,000 m at the Challenger Deep. Recent studies reveal that hadal waters harbor distinctive microbial planktonic communities. However, the genetic potential of microbial communities within the hadal zone is poorly understood.Here, implementing both culture-dependent and culture-independent methods, we perform extensive analysis of microbial populations and...