The deepest place in the ocean is teeming with microscopic life, a study suggests.
An international team of scientists found that the very bottom of the Mariana Trench, which lies almost 11km (7 miles) down in the Pacific Ocean, had high levels of microbial activity.
The underwater canyon was once thought to be too hostile an environment for life to exist. But this study adds to a growing body of evidence that a range of creatures can cope with the near-freezing temperatures, immense pressures and complete darkness.
Dr Robert Turnewitsch, one of the authors of the paper from the Scottish Association for Marine Science, said: “The deepest parts of the deep sea are certainly not dead zones.”
I – Word Understanding
Mariana Trench – is the deepest point in the earth’s oceans
Teeming with microscopic – to pinpoint biological hot spots in the world’s oceans where some inhabitants are smaller
Microbial activity – the activities of microorganisms resulting in chemical or physical changes
Creatures – living being
Immense pressures – extreme pressures
Not dead zones – having oxygen levels that are adequate to support life
II – Have your say
1. Do you know that more people have been on the Moon than on the bottom of the Mariana trench? And it was in 1960.
2. Creatures under Mariana Trench experience greater longevity than their counterparts higher up in the ocean. In many cases, they live for more than 100 years.
