Researchers have found huge reserves of sugar on the seabed

Scientists from the Institute of Marine Microbiology in Bremen have found that seaweed saturatesRhizosphere

(a narrow layer of soil adjacent to the roots of plants) with a large amount of sugar, mainly in the form of sucrose.The concentration of this substance under the roots of algae turned out to be 80 times higher than previously recorded anywhere in the marine environment.The scientists report their discovery in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.

“According to our estimates, in the algae rhizosphereThere are between 0.6 and 1.3 million tonnes of sugar worldwide, mostly in the form of sucrose,” explains Manuel Liebeke, head of the research team. "That's roughly the amount of sugar in 32 billion cans of Coca-Cola."

Researchers note that such highcarbohydrate concentrations are surprising because, as a rule, microorganisms quickly consume any free sugars found in the environment. The scientists concluded that in this case, algae, in addition to carbohydrates, secrete phenolic compounds that keep most microorganisms from consuming sucrose. This leads to the fact that these substances remain "buried" under the meadows of algae, rather than returning to the ocean and atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide, the authors of the study say.

Biologists believe that the reserves formed inThe rhizosphere is a kind of airbag that builds up in the summer and allows algae to survive periods of dim light, and also includes excess sugar that plants do not need.

Sea grasses produce sugar duringphotosynthesis. Under medium light conditions, these plants use most of the sugars they produce for their own metabolism and growth. But under bright light conditions, such as at noon or in summer, plants produce more sugar than they can use or store. They then release excess sucrose into their rhizosphere.

Nicole Dubillier, director of the Institute of Marine Microbiology. Max Planck

Seaweed forms lush green meadows duringmany coastal areas around the world. These plants, according to the authors of the work, are one of the most effective global sinks of carbon dioxide on Earth: one square km of seaweed stores almost twice as much carbon as forests on land, and absorption takes place 35 times faster.

Researchers note that seaweedare exposed to external threats and can gradually disappear, and this can greatly affect the global climate. With the disappearance of all algae, according to the authors of the work, at least 1.5 million tons of carbon dioxide obtained from the decomposition of sugars by bacteria will be released into the atmosphere.

Cover photo: HYDRA Marine Sciences GmbH

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