Scientists uncover the aluminium shield helping a tiny crustacean survive

In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists have identified a deep-sea crustacean, the amphipod Hirondellea gigas, which uses aluminum to survive in the Mariana Trench, one of Earth's most extreme environments. Its unique aluminum-coated exoskeleton helps resist calcium dissolution under immense pressure, allowing it to thrive where life was previously deemed impossible. This remarkable adaptation showcases innovative survival mechanisms in the deep ocean.

By TOI SCIENCE DESK