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How do deep-sea creatures avoid getting crushed by the water pressure? Illustration by Liz Merino

How do deep-sea creatures avoid getting crushed by the water pressure?

Unlike animals living on land or in shallower water, deep-sea animals have few or no air-filled spaces in their bodies. Their tissues are mostly liquid, and the pressure of their internal fluids matches the pressure of the surrounding water. Deep-sea animals also have special cellular and biochemical adaptations. High pressure can make cell membranes too rigid, so deep-sea species often have membranes rich in unsaturated fatty acids, which help them remain flexible and functional. Pressure can also disrupt the three-dimensional shapes of proteins, causing them to become unstable or denature. Molecules such as trimethylamine N-oxide —which help proteins hold their shape in animals like sharks and rays—occur in especially high concentrations in snailfishes , the deepest documented fishes in the oceans.…