Unexpected deep-sea discovery shines light on life in the twilight zone

The ocean’s twilight zone is deep, dark, and—according to new research—iron deficient. No sunlight reaches this region 200 to 1,000 meters below the sea surface, where levels of iron, a key micronutrient, are so low that the growth of bacteria is restricted. To compensate, these bacteria produce molecules called siderophores, which help the bacteria scavenge trace amounts of iron from the surrounding seawater.

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