Scientists from the University of Tasmania and the University of Bonn have discovered the oldest marine DNA ever found in sediment cores from the deep sea in Antarctica. The DNA, which is around one million years old, was found in sediment cores and allows researchers to investigate the long-term effects of climate change on the marine ecosystem. According to Linda Armbrecht, this is the oldest marine genetic material ever discovered. The sediment samples were taken during an expedition in 2019 and the analysis of sediment DNA is a new method that allows researchers to reconstruct which organisms lived in a marine ecosystem at a particular time.
The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, reveals that the sediment cores contain diatoms, whose genetic material is around half a million years old. The analysis of sediment DNA enables researchers to predict how organisms in Antarctica will respond to climate change and the warming of seawater. The study shows that during warm climate periods, many diatoms were present in the Antarctic sea. The last major change in the food web occurred 14,500 years ago in the Scotia Sea, which is an interesting and important change that is related to a worldwide and rapid rise in sea levels and massive ice loss in Antarctica due to natural warming.
The results of the study provide insight into how the marine life of Antarctica will be affected by climate change. The frozen continent is one of the most vulnerable regions on Earth, and the findings of this study will help researchers to better understand the long-term effects of climate change on the marine ecosystem. The discovery of the oldest marine DNA ever found in sediment cores from the deep sea in Antarctica is a significant breakthrough that will help researchers to predict the future of the marine ecosystem in this region.
