"For over a century, the “Pütter hypothesis”—that aquatic animals utilize dissolved organic matter as food—has remained a subject of debate. We provide conclusive in situ evidence validating this pathway in coral reef suspension feeders. We demonstrate that bivalves and ascidians do not rely solely on particles but actively take up and assimilate dissolved organic carbon to meet their metabolic demands. Crucially, for bivalves, this “invisible” food source appears to be their primary food source. By showing that metazoans short-circuit the microbial loop and directly compete with bacteria for dissolved organic compounds, our results necessitate a fundamental revision of carbon flux models in benthic ecosystems worldwide."
Dan, is this work truly world-changing?
