In a recent project that is based on the discovery of oceans on the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, Middle East Technical University (METU) Marine Sciences Institute's Deputy Director associate professor Mustafa Yücel started research in the deep seas of the world in order to find clues to life.
Yücel will examine marine life at depths of 2,500 meters (around 8,200 feet) in the Black Sea, and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, in areas where there is no light. The project has been provided with a European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grant of 2.4 million euros ($2.56 million).
Within the scope of the project, which is planned to be completed in 2028, at least five deep sea voyages will be carried out and a laboratory will be established in the METU Marine Sciences Institute, which will be the first in the world for this field.
Providing information about the project to Anadolu Agency (AA), Yücel said that in the last 10 years throughout the solar system, oceans have been discovered in the ice-covered areas of some of the moons of large planets such as Saturn and Jupiter.
"Institutions such as NASA and the European Space Agency explore the oceans, which benefit oceanographers to find answers to questions such as, 'Can there be a chance for life there?' 'What are the conditions that support life in an oxygen-free deep sea environment? To begin with, we chose the Black Sea followed by the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans with international collaborations," Yücel said.
Europa, Enceladus
According to the predictions of scientists who study Jupiter's moon Europa and Saturn's moon Enceladus, they have an ice crust and an ocean with a depth of 10-20 kilometers underneath them. Additionally, there are volcanic vents at the bottom of these seas, just like on Earth. At the same time, these seas do not naturally have oxygen, but Saturn and Jupiter emit so much radiation that they separate the hydrogen and oxygen of the water in the ice, and that oxygen is then leaked into the ocean.
"We imagine an ocean like today's Marmara and Black Sea, with an oxygen-rich surface, losing its oxygen as we go deeper, dark, with hydrothermal vents at the bottom. If we ever find life in space, it seems like we will find it in this type of ocean," Yücel determined.
Explaining his project, Yücel defined how life leaves traces in oxygen-free and deep habitats. Stating that they will focus more on chemical reactions in their research Yücel said: "Many life forms, from single-celled to multicellular, have very basic metabolic functions; such as respiration, chemosynthesis, carbon dioxide fixation. Could there be enzymatic reactions that could support life in the new oceans? This study is prepared to answer these questions."
Sharing information about the study areas of the project, Yücel said: "We are planning a joint expedition with the Americans in the spring of 2024 to the Pacific Ocean. The working area there is at a depth of 2,500 meters. We will descend into the volcanic vents. The depth we aim for in the Black Sea starts from 150 meters, up to 2,200 meters."