The archaea are winning in energy-poor, oxygen-containing deep-sea sediments

Highly efficient archaea, called Thaumarchaea, out-survive bacteria in the energy-poor, oxygen-containing sediments beneath the deep sea. These Thaumarchaea consume bits of proteins from dead cells to build their own biomass and also to obtain energy.

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Vetlesen Speaker Series: Exploring deep coral reef ecosystems

Coral reefs are beautiful to behold, but they also play an important role in marine ecosystems by providing habitats and shelter for marine organisms. Reefs also protect coastlines from damaging storms. An oceanographer at Florida Atlantic University will discuss one of the deepest coral reefs in the United States—Pulley Ridge—during the next Vetlesen lecture at […]

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Scientist, Graduate Students to Explore Limits of Life Deep Beneath Seafloor off Japan

How deep is Earth’s habitable region? Scientists from the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography will try to answer that question during an international research expedition off the coast of Japan. Arthur Spivack, a professor of oceanography, and graduate students Justine Sauvage, of Belgium, and Kira Homola of Washington State, are among the […]

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