Microorganisms that can survive on 'arsenic' discovered in the Pacific Ocean

Scientists have recently tracked down a type of ocean bacteria that can survive on arsenic. The microorganisms were discovered in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico.

Microorganisms that can survive on arsenic open up a new perspective on survival in the ocean.

Researchers believe this is an ancient survival strategy used in the distant past when oxygen was scarce on our planet, but more surprisingly it still persists.

This could be a sign of how ocean life will continue to change as climate change causes oxygen levels to become scarce again, and ecosystems may have to adapt, say researchers from the University of Washington in Seattle.

“We have known for a long time that there are very low levels of arsenic in the ocean. But the idea that organisms can use arsenic to live is a completely new metabolism for the open ocean,” said oceanographer Gabrielle Rocap.

Previous studies have shown tiny life forms survive on nitrogen and sulfur in the absence of oxygen, but this is the first time researchers have discovered bacteria that can survive on arsenic.

“The fact that arsenic is not only dangerous but also beneficial has reshaped the way I view the element,” said one of the researchers, Jaclyn Saunders.

These arsenic-absorbing microbes may make up about 1% of marine microbial communities, and learning more about them could help us understand the complex chemical reactions taking place in the ocean.

The next step is to try and grow these bacteria in the lab, where their metabolic processes can be studied more closely.