Nonillion Undersea Microbes

I found this article about undersea microbes. It's always amazing to me to see what can be found in the sea:

www.dailymail.co.uk...

The ocean depths are home to myriad species of microbes, mostly hard to see but including spaghetti-like bacteria that form mats the size of Greece on the floor of the Pacific.
The survey, part of a 10-year Census of Marine Life, turned up hosts of unknown microbes - some of them looking like extras in a science fiction movie and underpinning all life in the seas.
'In no other realm of ocean life has the magnitude of Census discovery been as extensive as in the world of microbes,'said Mitch Sogin of the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, head of the marine microbe census.

"Flower-like: The acantharians are one of the four types of large amoebae that occur in marine open waters. Their fragile skeletons are made of a single crystal of strontium sulfate that quickly dissolves in the ocean water after the cell dies" D. Mail:
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/9a602493caf7.jpg[/atsimg]

"Into the unknown: A larval tube-anemone fishes for food with the tentacles it will use as an adult" D. Mail:
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/97ebfa05a485.jpg[/atsimg]

Couldn't resist this little guy.
"A soft curled-tail on a decapod larva indicates it is turning into a young hermit crab" D. Mail:
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/1e5c7e59ae0e.jpg[/atsimg]

Here's a more in-depth article:
______beforeitsnews/news/34240/Sea_Census_of_Life_Reveals_10_Nonillion_Microbes_Living_in_the_Oceans_-Weight_Equivalent_to_240_Billion_Elephants. html

Thought I'd better include what a nonillion is:

US - 1 followed by 30 zeroes

UK - 1 followed by 54 zeroes

Well, I'm glad i didn't have to count them. I won't be querying the number they found either

[edit on 19-4-2010 by berenike]

At some point, probably after the human race has mostly died out, we will realize and live within the boundaries set for us and all of life to thrive.

Amazing article.

If life can thrive in the Ocean depths then we have very strong objective truth displaying that life thrives in the most hostile enviroments.

I can hardly wait until we find what type of life their is on Mars and other entities in the galaxy.

Great pics. It's amazing where life can thrive. I love the little hermit crabs, used to have some in a marine tank, years ago. Great fun and better to watch than TV!!

whiteraven and Kurokage - thank you for your interest.

For more undersea creatures see Jumpingbeanz's thread. It features a video of an octopus stealing a diver's camera. He was hoping to sell it on for six quid

www.abovetopsecret.com...

I just found this National Geographic article, thanks to following a link (about the Icelandic volcano) provided by karl12 in one of his threads. It features a video and is well worth a look:

news.nationalgeographic.com...

and here is a link to their photo gallery:
news.nationalgeographic.com...-marine-life-tiny-toxic-marin e-algae-red-tide_19057_600x450.jpg

What are you supposed to make of this little thing?
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/c0a444fd7ba3.jpg[/atsimg]
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/26b37d60a9ba.jpg[/atsimg]


While I'm here I'll provide a link to karl12's thread - Post Your Favourite Nature Pic:
www.belowtopsecret.com...

[edit on 20-4-2010 by berenike]