Our team on the R/V Western Flyer studying the Cascadia Subduction Zone found that there's more than mud on this deep seafloor! 👀
Here's a chance to learn about these deep-sea unicellular superstars—xenophyophores. Xenophyophores are a type of foraminifera often found littering the seafloor in areas of high carbon flux, like the submarine canyon in the Cascadia Subduction Zone.
Although they are technically single-celled organisms (which we might normally expect to be too small to see with the naked eye), xenophyophores make brain-looking agglutinated tests out of cemented calcium carbonate and other sediments. Beyond looking cool, these critters act as "ecosystem engineers," increasing biodiversity by creating additional habitat for deep-sea organisms.