The mystery of the island that appeared in 2015 and disappeared in 2022 that left behind strange bacteria
the island Hungarian Tonga-Hungarian Ha’apai occurred unexpectedly in the Calm, and disappeared in the same way. only had seven years of life from 2015 to 2022, when it was the target of a volcanic eruption. But during these years it appeared unexpected ways of single life the kind that has caught the attention not only of volcanologists, but also of ecologists and biologists who have conducted studies on the organisms.
At the time it perished, the mysterious island Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai was formed by the eruption of a volcano located 30 kilometers southeast of fonuafo’ouan island that is part of Tongaa nation located on the continent of Oceania. In a study conducted by a microbial ecologist Nick Dragon of the University of Colorado from the United States, the existence of an unexpected community of microbes has been reported.
According to the scientific journal Science Alert, which cited the research, bacteria found on the island are capable of metabolize sulfur Yes atmospheric gasessimilar to organisms found in the habitats of thermal sources That is vents hydrothermal of deep waterssays the report. In this regard, Nick Dragone noted, “We didn’t see what we expected.”
“We thought we were seeing organisms found during the retreat of a glacier, or cyanobacteria, species more typical of early colonizers, but instead we found a unique group of bacteria which metabolize sulfur and atmospheric gases,” Dragone said.
The significance of the bacteria found
For analysis, the Dragone team collected 32 samples of Usually I of the island on surfaces of the sea level until the top of the cratersince the island was considered a underwater volcano. The researchers said that the vegetation that quickly grew on the volcanic soil was mainly due to seeds left by bird droppings.
Therefore, the team from the University of Colorado focused their research on the analysis of areas where there was no vegetation. On these surfaces, they found the bacteria in the cone of the volcano although the microbes had less diversity from each other in relation to the organisms that inhabited the green spaces.
Dragone and his team suspect that dryland bacteria come from deep underground, a feature that makes them unique: “One of the reasons we think we’re seeing these unique microbes is the associated properties with the volcanic eruptions which contain a lot of sulfur and hydrogen sulphide gases.
He added that having the ability to study microorganisms that are typically only found in sites with hydrothermal vents such as yellow stone in the United States, it is unlikely: “Big eruptions are one thing; look how it develops an ecosystem of blank whiteboard in newly formed volcanic island is another.”
However, after the destruction of the island at the beginning of last year, the researcher feels upset, but with the short time they had to study the ground, they now have several predictions of what will happen when the next island forms. “So if something were to form again, we would be happy to go out there and collect more data. We would have a game plan on how to study it”.
The importance of the bacteria that have emerged on the island is that they are unique in their species since they are found in a early stage. “We had an incredibly unique opportunity. No one had studied the microorganisms in this type of island system extensively at such an early stage,” said the academic.
Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai Island is the third land mass emerged in the last 150 years.
Source: El Heraldo De Mexico
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