PACIFIC -- Scientists have gone through the depths of the Pacific Ocean in hopes to learn more about the microbial life underneath. Their goal is to understand what kind of creatures could survive in these volcanic vents. However, in their search, they have discovered something more amazingly beautiful mirror-like pools along the shores of California.
A team of international researchers led by Samantha Joye, an associate professor from the University of Georgia was set out to check two sites both in the northern and southern Gulf. They wanted to find out how possible it is for microorganisms to survive the hot waters near the vents. The study published included images taken by the ROV SuBastian. This is a remotely operated sub that does not only take images but also takes samples from the dive site and around the area of the vents.
"We have discovered magical towers where every surface was inhabited by some kind of organism. The living rocks came in vibrant colors that were so strikingly beautiful that it reflects how biologically diverse the organisms present there were. The mineral distributions were so abundant too," Joye expressed in a news release.
The microbes collected by the scientists and analyze the data from their boat. They use handheld sequencers to look at the data collected. This is according to the website of the Schmidt Ocean Institute. Then, when they return to shore, they use more advanced equipment to do the testing. Eight sites have been visited around the area of the gulf area.
However, what the team didn't expect was that they'd find more than just microbes. They also discovered incredible geological formations that included mineral towers that created what seemed like the mirror effect. The towers were as tall as 23 meters and as big as 10 meters across. The colorful towers also emitted minerals like metal and sulfur that made them incredibly hot. Still, what remains to be a mystery is that there are still microbes that survived the heat.
The pool parts of the tower also created what looked like a mirror of pools. They looked like nothing that the scientists have discovered before and that made these sites even more special. Not only are there live microbes that survive the heat, but there are mirror-like pools that add beauty to what already was.
The results of the study are yet to be published and everyone is looking forward to it. And yet, it is not just the mission that makes this research even more worthwhile. It is also the many discoveries that they made as they went through the research that made a beautiful and lasting impression among scientists.
They simply could not express their excitement about the results to come. The mirror-like pools under the Pacific Ocean are already awesome.
