{"id":2177468,"date":"2024-09-14T12:00:21","date_gmt":"2024-09-14T11:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/?p=2177468"},"modified":"2024-09-14T11:32:22","modified_gmt":"2024-09-14T10:32:22","slug":"why-dont-deep-sea-animals-implode-heres-how-they-survive-extreme-pressures-at-the-bottom-of-the-ocean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/why-dont-deep-sea-animals-implode-heres-how-they-survive-extreme-pressures-at-the-bottom-of-the-ocean\/","title":{"rendered":"Why don\u2019t deep-sea animals implode? Here’s how they survive extreme pressures at the bottom of the ocean"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fish, squid, jellyfish and many other animals live in the abyss, thousands of metres below the surface, where the pressure is at least 150 times higher than inside a car tyre.<\/p>\n

So why don’t they implode?<\/p>\n

These animals don\u2019t implode, but bring one to the surface and it may melt in your hand.<\/p>\n

Their cell membranes are high in unsaturated fatty acids, making them less like butter and more like olive oil, keeping them flexible under pressure and less liable to crack.<\/p>\n

Most deep-sea fish don\u2019t have gas-filled swim bladders, which are difficult to inflate at great depth. Instead, their bodies are filled with jelly, boosting their buoyancy while avoiding implosion.<\/p>\n

Abyssal animals also load their bodies with trimethylamine- oxide (TMAO), which prevents water from squashing into their enzymes.<\/p>\n

TMAO happens to be what makes fish smell fishy. The concentration increases with depth. Snailfish \u2013 the world\u2019s deepest-dwelling vertebrates \u2013 presumably smell worst of all.<\/p>\n

This article<\/a> by Dr Helen Scales was first published by Discover Wildlife on 6 September 2024. Lead Image: Sailfish @ Getty Images.<\/i><\/p>\n

What you can do<\/h2>\n

Help to save wildlife by donating as little as $1 \u2013 It only takes a minute.<\/p>\n

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