Deap sea - facts and figures, information

Some information about the deep sea;
'The deep sea, or deep layer, is the lowest layer in the ocean, existing below the thermocline and above the seabed, at a depth of 1000 fathoms (1800 m) or more. Little or no light penetrates this part of the ocean and most of the organisms that live there rely for subsistence on falling organic matter produced in the photic zone. For this reason scientists once assumed that life would be sparse in the deep ocean but virtually every probe has revealed that, on the contrary, life is abundant in the deep ocean.'

[-with the little or no light and oxygen  that passes down to the depth of the sea along with the pressure down their life has to find new and innovative ways to survive, which is why you see some of the strangest creatures on earth down their.]

More is known about the Moon than the deepest parts of the ocean. Until the late 1970s little was known about the extent of life on the deep ocean floor but the discovery of thriving colonies of shrimps and other organisms around hydrothermal vents changed that. Before the discovery of the undersea vents, it had been accepted that almost all life on earth obtained its energy (one way or another) from the sun. The new discoveries revealed groups of creatures that obtained nutrients and energy directly from thermal sources and chemical reactions associated with changes to mineral deposits. These organisms thrive in completely lightless and anaerobic environments, in highly saline water that may reach 300 °F (150 °C), drawing their sustenance from hydrogen sulfide, which is highly toxic to almost all terrestrial life. The revolutionary discovery that life can exist under these extreme conditions changed opinions about the chances of there being life elsewhere in the universe. Scientists now speculate that Europa, one of Jupiter's moons, may be able to support life beneath its icy surface, where there is evidence of a global ocean of liquid water.

[This really shows how bizarre this place is, the fact that little was known about the depths of the sea before the 1970's shows how new and unknown this place is, the creatures found down their are possibly the strangest looking things on earth and the fact that they are so newly discovered shows that their could possibly be loads more strange creatures down their which is fascinating. The way these alien creatures manage to find ways to survive in these harsh conditions is mind blowing.]