Diatoms maintain metabolic activity in deep ocean twilight zones

Abstract

Phytoplankton are primarily confined to the sunlit epipelagic zone, yet intact algal cells persist in the ocean’s mesopelagic twilight zone where light is minimal. However, their survival strategies in the deeper ocean remain unknown. Here, we isolate Chaetoceros sp. DS1 from 1000 m depth and reveal its survival mechanisms under prolonged darkness and high pressure, including membrane lipid remodeling and enhanced antioxidant defenses. Importantly, DS1 maintains a latent photosynthetic reserve that activates upon exposure to dim blue light and higher pressure typical of the twilight zone, enabling photosynthesis and nutrient uptake. It exhibits metabolic flexibility by utilizing stored carbon in darkness and assimilating organic carbon under dim light. Global meta-omics data show widespread, transcriptionally active Chaetoceros-like diatoms in the twilight zone, expressing blue-light sensors and protein synthesis genes. These findings identify the ocean twilight zone as a previously overlooked niche for metabolically active phytoplankton, expanding understanding of deep-ocean microbial ecology and carbon cycling.