New York, Aug. 12 -- Marine researchers exploring extreme depths say they have discovered an astonishing deep-sea ecosystem of chemosynthetic life that's fuelled by gases escaping from fractures in the ocean bed.
The expedition revealed methane-producing microbes and marine invertebrates that make their home in unforgiving conditions where the sun's rays don't reach, according to a new study, reports CNN.
While exploring one of the trenches that lie between Russia and Alaska, about 5,800 to 9,500 metres
(19,000 to 30,000 feet) below the ocean's surface in what's called the hadal zone, Geochemist Mengran Du noticed "amazing creatures," including various species of clam and tube worm that had never been recorded so deep below the surface.
...