Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.4
2.7
Journals
JMSE
Special Issues
Research Progress on Deep-Sea Organisms
share announcement

Research Progress on Deep-Sea Organisms

A special issue of Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (ISSN 2077-1312). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2025 | Viewed by 7020

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Lisheng He

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy Sciences, Sanya, China
Interests: adaptation of deep-sea macro-organisms to extrem environment; deep-sea biology; symbiosis; omics study

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to publish all types of manuscripts (i.e., research articles, reviews, and short communications) covering a wide range of topics including, but not limited to, the biology, ecology and evolution of organisms in deep-sea environments, the interaction between biotic and abiotic factors, and, especially, research on the application of new methods and interdisciplinary research involving organisms living in deep-sea environments.

Prof. Dr. Lisheng He
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • deep-sea
  • biology and ecology
  • molecules and evolution
  • survival strategies and mechanisms
  • in situ study
  • interdisciplinary research.

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

28 pages, 5116 KiB  
Article
A New Species of the Eel Genus Gnathophis (Congridae, Anguilliformes) from the Seamounts of the Emperor–Hawaiian Chain, Western and Central North Pacific
by Artem M. Prokofiev, Benjamin W. Frable, Olga R. Emelianova, Svetlana Yu. Saveleva and Alexei M. Orlov
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2025, 13(4), 772; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13040772 - 13 Apr 2025
Viewed by 629
Abstract
Gnathophis johnsoni sp. nov. is described on the basis of 15 specimens (138–380 mm TL) from the Emperor–Hawaiian Seamount Chain in the western and central North Pacific. The new species is most similar in morphology to G. bathytopos (Atlantic), G. cinctus (eastern Pacific), [...] Read more.
Gnathophis johnsoni sp. nov. is described on the basis of 15 specimens (138–380 mm TL) from the Emperor–Hawaiian Seamount Chain in the western and central North Pacific. The new species is most similar in morphology to G. bathytopos (Atlantic), G. cinctus (eastern Pacific), and G. smithi (Nazca and Salas-y-Gomez Seamounts in the southeastern Pacific) by the sensory pore configuration and vertebral count, but differs from these species in the following characters in combination: darkly pigmented pectoral fin, dorsal fin with black margin broadened caudally and extended onto the distal half of the caudal fin, relatively long head, jaws, gill slit and caudal fin, and on average a greater preanal distance. Although most of morphometrics overlap between the new species and its closest relatives, multivariate statistical analyses clearly discriminate this species. Molecular analysis shows sister relationships between the new species and G. cinctus, with 1.81% of genetic divergence, which significantly exceeds the differences between the haplotypes belonging to the same species (0.36 and 1.08% of divergence, usually not exceeding 0.9%) and confirms both species as close but distinct. The close relationship of G. johnsoni sp. nov. and G. cinctus represents a rare case of biogeographical relations between western and eastern Pacific demersal fish faunas. Molecular data suggest that some morphologically similar species may represent independently evolved lineages, though the group of Gnathophis possessing elevated lateral-line pores is likely monophyletic. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Progress on Deep-Sea Organisms)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 5449 KiB  
Article
Spatial Heterogeneity of the Microbial Community in the Surface Sediments in the Okinawa Trough
by Ye Chen, Nengyou Wu, Cuiling Xu, Youzhi Xin, Jing Li, Xilin Zhang, Yucheng Zhou and Zhilei Sun
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2025, 13(4), 653; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13040653 - 25 Mar 2025
Viewed by 256
Abstract
The Okinawa Trough (OT) has been a focus of scientific research for many years due to the presence of vibrant hydrothermal and cold seep activity within its narrow basin. However, the spatial distribution and environmental drivers of microbial communities in OT sediments remain [...] Read more.
The Okinawa Trough (OT) has been a focus of scientific research for many years due to the presence of vibrant hydrothermal and cold seep activity within its narrow basin. However, the spatial distribution and environmental drivers of microbial communities in OT sediments remain poorly understood. The present study aims to address this knowledge gap by investigating microbial diversity and abundance at ten different sampling sites in a transitional zone between hydrothermal vents and cold seeps in the OT. The microbial community at two sampling sites (G08 and G09) in close proximity to hydrothermal vents showed a high degree of similarity. However, lower bacterial and archaeal abundances were found in these sites. The archaeal groups, classified as Hydrothermarchaeota and Thermoplasmata, showed a comparatively higher relative abundance at these sites. In addition, ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), from the family Nitrosopumilaceae, were found to have a higher relative abundance in the OT surface sediments at sampling sites G03, G04, G05, G06, and G07. This result suggests that ammonia oxidation may be actively occurring in these areas. Furthermore, Methylomirabilaceae, which are responsible for methane oxidation coupled with nitrite reduction, dominated three sampling sites (G07, G08, and G09), implying that N-DAMO may play an important role in mitigating methane emissions. Using the FAPROTAX database, we found that predicted prokaryotic microbial functional groups involved in methyl-reducing methanogenesis and hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis were most abundant at sites G08 and G09. At sampling sites G01 and G02, functional groups such as hydrocarbon degradation, methanotrophy, methanol oxidation, denitrification, sulfate respiration, and sulfur oxidation were more abundant. Nitrogen content is the most important environmental factor determining the bacterial and archaeal communities in the OT surface sediments. These results expand our knowledge of the spatial distribution of microbial communities in the transitional zone between hydrothermal vents and cold seeps in the OT. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Progress on Deep-Sea Organisms)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 3494 KiB  
Article
Characteristics of Microbial Diversity and Metabolic Versatility in Dynamic Mid-Okinawa Trough Subsurface Sediments
by Youzhi Xin, Tao Zhang, Ye Chen, Linqiang Wu, Chengzhu Jiang and Nengyou Wu
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2024, 12(11), 1924; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12111924 - 28 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1350
Abstract
Large-scale and multi-sample datasets have revealed that microbial diversity and geographic distribution patterns are distinct across various habitats, particularly between hydrothermal vent and cold seep ecosystems. To date, our understanding of the effects of spatial and geochemical gradients on marine microbial communities remains [...] Read more.
Large-scale and multi-sample datasets have revealed that microbial diversity and geographic distribution patterns are distinct across various habitats, particularly between hydrothermal vent and cold seep ecosystems. To date, our understanding of the effects of spatial and geochemical gradients on marine microbial communities remains limited. Here, we report the microbial diversity and metabolic versatility of a remote seafloor sediment ecosystem at different sites (GC-2, -4, -5, -6, -8) in the Mid-Okinawa Trough (Mid-OT) using high-throughput metagenomic sequencing technology. Desulfobacteraceae (3.1%) were detected in a high abundance at GC-2 with intense methane concentrations (353 μL/L), which showed a clear correlation with cold seeping. Whereas Candidatus Brocadiaceae (1.7%), Rhodobacteraceae (0.9%), and Rhodospirillaceae (0.7%), which are commonly involved in denitrification and sulfur oxidation, were enriched at GC-8. Concurrently investigating the potential of deep-sea microbial metabolism, we gained insights into the adaptive capabilities and metabolic mechanisms of microorganisms within seafloor environments. Utilizing the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database, the analysis of functional modules revealed a significant enrichment (71–74%) of genes associated with metabolic pathways. These results expand our knowledge of the relationship between microbial biodiversity and metabolic versatility in deep-sea extreme environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Progress on Deep-Sea Organisms)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 2592 KiB  
Article
Discovery of Prevalent Ciliophora, Discoba, and Copepoda Protists in Deep Sea Water by In Situ Nucleotide Extraction
by Peikuan Xu, Ming Yang, Lisheng He, Hongxi Zhang, Zhaoming Gao, Yuelu Jiang and Yong Wang
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2024, 12(1), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12010061 - 26 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1476
Abstract
Deep-sea eukaryotic microorganisms play a vital role in degrading organic matter and geochemically cycling elements in the deep ocean. However, the impact of sampling methods on detection of these microorganisms under high hydrostatic pressure remains uncertain. In this study, we compared a traditional [...] Read more.
Deep-sea eukaryotic microorganisms play a vital role in degrading organic matter and geochemically cycling elements in the deep ocean. However, the impact of sampling methods on detection of these microorganisms under high hydrostatic pressure remains uncertain. In this study, we compared a traditional water sampling method using a Niskin bottle, an in situ microbial filtration and fixation method (ISMIFF), and a multiple in situ nucleic acid collection (MISNAC) method to exhibit differences in the community structures that were collected at ~590–3100 m in the South China Sea (SCS). The classification and biodiversity indices of 18S rDNA Illumina sequencing reads from the V9 variation region revealed higher diversity for MISNAC DNA absorption column samples compared to others. Importantly, the relative abundance of Ciliophora (19.49%), Copepoda (23.31%), and Diplonemea (10.67%) was higher in MISNAC adsorption column samples, while Retaria (48.86%) were dominant in the MISNAC membrane samples. This indicates that MISNAC columns might collect more DNA in situ for the naked protists, while Retaria with a carbonate shell were more likely retained on the membrane. In conclusion, MISNAC is an effective method for DNA collection of deep-sea eukaryotic microorganisms and provides valuable materials for studying deep-sea microbial ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Progress on Deep-Sea Organisms)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 2414 KiB  
Article
Comparably Characterizing the Gut Microbial Communities of Amphipods from Littoral to Hadal Zones
by Taoshu Wei, Yanwen Liao, Yong Wang, Junyuan Li and Lisheng He
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2023, 11(11), 2197; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse11112197 - 18 Nov 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2005
Abstract
Amphipods are an important group of invertebrates in marine ecosystems due to their high abundance and diversity. As an essential part of the marine food web, amphipods play a vital role in nutrient recycling and provide large amounts of detritus-derived fine-particulate organic matter [...] Read more.
Amphipods are an important group of invertebrates in marine ecosystems due to their high abundance and diversity. As an essential part of the marine food web, amphipods play a vital role in nutrient recycling and provide large amounts of detritus-derived fine-particulate organic matter for other invertebrates. Although the importance of gut microbiota and the necessity to consider them has been increasingly recognized, the gut microbial community and diversity of amphipods have not been well studied. Here, we comparatively studied the gut microbiota of diverse amphipod species inhabiting from coastal to hadopelagic zones. The results showed that four phyla, including Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, and Actinobacteriota, occupied more than 90% of the total microbes in the studied amphipod guts, with Firmicutes being dominant in the hadal amphipods. The gut microbiome of amphipods from the hadal zone displayed the lowest richness, lowest diversity, and shared few microorganisms with the surrounding seawater compared to others. Amphipods in different inhabiting regions have discriminant taxa for their gut microbial communities. Taken together, amphipod gut microbiota was affected by both biological and abiotic factors, yet these factors are not independent. This article provides us with a further understanding of the structure and characteristics of the gut microbiota of invertebrate organisms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Progress on Deep-Sea Organisms)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-5
Back to TopTop