Scientists discovered that the amphipod Hirondellea gigas, living in the Mariana Trench's Challenger Deep, uses an aluminium coating on its exoskeleton to prevent dissolution under extreme pressure. The coating, derived from sediment via gluconic acid, protects its calcium-based shell, enabling survival at depths exceeding 8,000 metres.
Aluminium shield helps deep-sea crustacean survive
Source: Times of India