Exploring Deep Sea Pressure: How Subsurface Microbes are Affecting the Ocean's Abyss
For the first time, researchers have discovered that food sources deep beneath the ocean’s surface can sustain microbial life in the deepest and coldest parts of the ocean, known as the abyss. In a study published in Nature Communications, researchers from the University of Oxford and the University of Bergen have shown that a surprising amount of food is available in the abyss, and that microbial life can survive in this extreme environment. They found that the pressure and cold temperatures in the abyss can create unique microbial habitats, and that the microbes can survive on the food sources available in this extreme environment. This groundbreaking study opens up the possibility of discovering new types of microbial life in the deep abyss, and could help us better understand the evolution and dynamics of microbial life in the ocean.
source: Phys.org