Chonkus’s real name is Synechococcus elongatus, and it is a large and heavy strain of blue-green alga that soaks up CO2 for its photosynthesis, grows fast in dense colonies and stores more carbon than other strains of this microbe.
Chonkus may sound like a champion Sumo wrestler but it is the nickname for a superpower strain of microbe that absorbs lots of CO2 relative to its size and stores it in its large cells.
Chonkus was discovered basking in sunlight in the shallow warm seas off the coast of Sicily’s Vulcano island, where carbon dioxide and other gases seep into the sea from volcanic vents.
Synechococcus elongatusis soaks up carbon dioxide for its photosynthesis and stores more than other strains.
Being so heavy, it tends to sink rapidly to the seabed, helping lock away its carbon into a dense slimy sludge.
