The world's oldest living organism is Posidonia Oceanica seagrass, the scientist has discovered the 200,000 years old seagrass in the Mediterranean. This giant patches of seagrass surpass the tasmanian plant which is "only" 43,000 year-old. According to the scientist this nine mile wide stretch of Posidonia Oceanica Seagrass began its life when humans first emerged in the late Pleistocene era.
Posidonia Oceanica or also known as Neptune Grass or Mediterranean tapeweed is a seagrass species that is endemic to the Mediterranean Sea. It forms large underwater meadows that are an important part of the ecosystem. The fruit is free floating and known in Italy as 'the olive of the sea' (l'oliva di mare). Balls of fibrous material from its foliage, known as egagropili, wash up to nearby shorelines.
The scientist calculated the age of the plants from DNA tests on clumps gathered from the seafloor between Spain and Cyprus
This Giant Posidonia oceanica seagrass which is claimed as the oldest living organism on earth was Weighing 6,000 tons and stretching for 10 miles, the seagrass patches reproduce asexually and spread very slowly, eventually covering large areas. A key attribute to their longevity is their ability to store nutrients in their long branches, Professor Carlos Duarte from the University of Western Australia told the Telegraph.
This Giant Posidonia Oceanica Seagrass grows so large and lives so long because it has few native competitors and no major predators in the marine habitat. The extensive subsea meadows support some of the most valuable ecosystems on the planet.
Despite the organism’s ability to survive in harsh conditions, scientists believe the seagrass is nevertheless declining, something scientists blame on global climate change.
