The Virus Discovered in the Depths of the Coast of RJ Named After Indigenous Mythology

For the Tupinambá people who once lived in the region now known as Rio de Janeiro, Iara was the goddess of water, and Anhangá was the deity associated with the depths and the underworld.

Centuries after these tales and legends were passed down, these names from Brazilian mythology gained new significance through the work of researcher Alessandro Garritano, who is pursuing a doctorate at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.

His research, which seeks to understand how carbon fixation occurs in the deep sea, led to remarkable discoveries about the intricate relationship between sea sponges, bacteria, archaea (a type of unicellular microorganism), and viruses. These elements coexist and interact at depths exceeding 700 meters, in a place where nutrients are scarce, and light cannot reach.

Through his studies, Garritano had the unique opportunity to name some of the “characters” involved in this underwater story. That’s when he decided to draw inspiration from Brazilian indigenous traditions.

“We have so many scientific names referencing Greek, Roman, and Norse mythology but very little that celebrates our own culture,” Garritano observes. To fully appreciate how he reached this point, we must explore how his research began and the discoveries he made along the way.

Surviving in an Extreme Environment

Garritano describes himself as deeply passionate about carbon fixation mechanisms in environments devoid of light.

In biology classes, we learn that plants perform photosynthesis, converting carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere into energy. This process depends on sunlight. Through a series of complex chemical reactions, CO₂ transforms into energy, ensuring the survival of plants and forming the foundation of Earth’s entire food chain.

“Plants rely on sunlight to fix carbon into organic matter,” explains the scientist.

But how does carbon fixation occur in environments where sunlight doesn’t reach, such as the ocean’s deepest regions?

Remarkably, even in these nutrient-poor settings, corals form, and some sponges thrive.

“Organisms in these environments derive energy from chemical substances like ammonia, which they use to fix carbon in deep-sea waters,” Garritano notes.

“My interest lies in understanding how these organisms produce their own food and sustain life in such challenging conditions.”

The team at the University of New South Wales, with which Garritano collaborates, conducts research on sea sponges—simple, ancient animals that have existed on Earth for around 600 million years.

As part of his doctorate, the Brazilian researcher collected samples of a specific sponge species, Aphrocallistes beatrix, which inhabits depths of 700 meters in the Campos Basin, approximately 300 kilometers off the coast of Rio de Janeiro.

The fieldwork took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, in the latter half of 2020.

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