Giant larvae are creatures that with their mucus are able to remove carbon dioxide and microplastics that damage the planet.
Many fascinating creatures live in the marine world, some of which play a fundamental role in the fight against climate change. Among these are the giant larvae (Bathochordaeus charon), creatures that with their mucus are able to remove carbon dioxide and microplastics that damage the planet. This is established by a new study published in Nature which analyzes the function of this larva which resembles a large balloon and which lives in the seas all over the world.
The study conducted by researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute used a new laser system to provide 3D images of animals living in the seabed and their mucous filters. Giant larvae, even if in reality their size is only ten centimeters, have little body consistency, but are able to remove large quantities of carbon in the surrounding environment. In practice, when the mucous filters become clogged, usually every 24 hours or so, the animals release the mucus, which quickly sinks to the sea floor, breaking down a significant load of carbon directly on the bottom and thus preventing it from reaching the atmosphere. A fundamental process to eliminate carbon dioxide and microplastics.
"This larva is omnipresent in the sea, now that we have analyzed their behavior in the seabed we can better understand what role they play in the ocean," explains Kakani Katija, chief engineer of Monterey Bay and lead author of the study.
@Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Larvae use their tails to constantly pump water through two filters. Scientists calculated that those in Monterey Bay could filter all water between 100 and 300 meters deep in just 13 days, equivalent to about 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools per hour.
@Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
This is extraordinary given that according to experts, over 99% of the planet's biosphere resides in the oceans which play a vital role in trapping greenhouse gas emissions that affect global warming.
To understand the role of these larvae, the scientists reproduced the animals in 3D and their complex architecture of the mucous apparatus, thus discovering these two filters that trap plant debris and clean the sea.
Fonti: Nature/Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
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