| Property | Details |
|---|---|
| Type | Anchored |
| Category | Kelp |
| Biome | Tar Delta |
| Scan Tool | Bioscanner |
Amber-eyed Kelp is an anchored lifeform that appears in the Tar Delta region.
Appearance
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Behavior
Section requires expansion.
Databank Entry
Kelp kharapos. A deepwater kelp that feeds entirely on chemicals rather than sunlight. Produces edible spore bodies.
1. Chemical conversion
The amber-eyed kelp's blades collect rising methane and sulfur from tar seeps. Its bright colors are produced by a hemoglobin-like molecule that binds oxygen and hydrogen sulfide, which it feeds to bacterial symbiotes. The kelp's holdfast dumps waste products into the substrate.
2. Ecological role
Locally, the kelp converts seep chemicals into the proteins, sugars, vinyls and plastics used by other Protean life. Globally, chemotrophic life probably captures between 50% and 90% of methane and hydrocarbons released by tar seeps, playing a critical role in climate regulation.
3. Deepsea adaptation
Optogenetic analysis suggests the amber-eyed kelp diverged from shallow water photosynthetic kelps within the last 10 million years. Could a loss of sunlight have caused a major kelp die-back, leaving only deep-water survivors? If so, how recently, and why have shallow kelp populations not returned?
4. Edible spores
The amber-eyed kelp must spread its spores in deeper, less energy-rich waters, so it loads them with a supply of the sugar alcohol mannitol. Though edible (with adaptations), mannitol can compromise the blood-brain barrier if injected.
Assessment: vital ecological keystone and effective food source for pioneers on the go.
Source: Scan an Amber-eyed Kelp
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