Seeing the unseen: problematic narratives and the microbial worlds of the deep-sea.

Abstract

Microbes emerge as the protagonists of new scientific narratives of the deep-sea, functioning as life-givers in biological communities or central actors in geochemical cycles essential to the functioning of the Earth system. This paper aims to address the significant discrepancy between present-day scientific knowledge and popular narratives of the deep, with a particular focus on the narrative representation of deep-sea microbes. In the face of looming deep-sea ecocide, it is crucial to incorporate knowledge of the microbial 'unseen majority' into our ecological imagination and challenge the 'size bias' towards larger organisms. However, problematic narratives-such as portraying the deep-sea as a barren place, as a place full of alien life, or as the last frontier on earth-persist in the cultural imagination and deflect profound engagement with deep-sea microbial worlds. I discuss Frank Schätzing's novel Der Schwarm (2004) as a hopeful exception, proving that a profound engagement with deep-sea worlds does not defy the dynamics of popular fiction. Instead of recycling old storylines, the novel articulates the relevance of deep-sea ecosystems to the Earth system and positions the deep-sea microbe as an important actor in human lifeworlds instead of letting it reside at the fringes of the cultural imagination.