A team of researchers from Rostock, Germany, has successfully revived 7,000-year-old algae from the Baltic Sea, marking a significant achievement in the field of resurrection ecology.

The algae, known as Skeletonema marinoi, had been dormant at the bottom of the Baltic Sea since its formation, surviving in sediment without light, oxygen, or food.

Upon revival, the algae demonstrated full functional recovery, including oxygen production and multiplication, as detailed in a study published in The ISME Journal.

The sediment cores from which the algae were extracted were collected in 2021 from the Gotland Basin, utilizing the research vessel 'Elisabeth Mann Borgese'.

These algae were found nearly 800 feet underwater in the Eastern Gotland Deep, where anoxic conditions help preserve dormant cells by preventing decomposition.

Reviving these ancient organisms provides researchers with valuable insights into historical environmental conditions in the Baltic Sea, such as salinity, oxygen levels, and temperature.

In the Baltic Sea, specific conditions allow some algae to survive longer than typical dormant states, with phytoplankton cells sinking and being buried under sediment layers.

Under adverse conditions, these algae form a protective shell and significantly reduce their metabolism, akin to seed formation in plants.

This revival is unprecedented; according to the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research, there are no known instances of older aquatic organisms being revived.

The researchers can now compare algae from various historical periods, including samples from 7,000 years ago, 1,000 years ago, 60 years ago, and the present, to better predict future behaviors under climate change.

Marine biologist Sarah Bolius emphasized that this revival is a significant step for resurrection ecology, enabling potential 'time-jump experiments' in laboratory settings.

Bolius noted that these sediment deposits act as natural time capsules, offering insights into past ecosystems and biological communities, including their genetic changes.