Tuesday, July 19, 2005

New Undersea World

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The collapse of the giant Larsen B ice shelf in Antarctica has revealed a thriving ecosystem half a mile below the sea.

Despite near freezing and sunless conditions, a community of clams and a thin layer of bacterial mats are flourishing in undersea sediments.

Since light could not penetrate the ice or water, these organisms do not use photosynthesis to make energy. Instead, these extreme creatures get their energy from methane.

Despite popular belief, the methane does not come from the periodic gaseous discharge that emanates from the rectal orifice of millionaire "documentary" filmmaker, Michael Moore. The methane is produced inside the Earth and is distributed to the sea floor by underwater vents.

This fascinating article, by Bjorn Carey, can be found here .

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