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posted by martyb on Monday April 15 2019, @01:56AM   Printer-friendly
from the science dept.

The Mariana Trench is located in the Western Pacific Ocean; it’s deeper than Mount Everest is tall and remains one of the biggest mysteries on Earth. Humanity officially has more information about Mars than it does about this part of our own planet, study lead Xiao-Hua Zhang explained. Mariana Trench (about 36,000 ft down) and discovered a new group of bacteria that degrades hydrocarbons, which are the primary components in substances like natural gas and petroleum.

This category of bacteria isn’t new — these microorganisms are found in many places and contribute to the degradation of oil that results from things like oil spills. However, The study found that the Mariana Trench is home to the highest proportion of these microorganisms on Earth.

What, exactly, is this deep sea bacteria feeding on? The researchers found biologically-produced hydrocarbons in ocean sediment from the trench’s bottom, as well as in the sea water around 19,600ft below the surface. The scientists suspect the hydrocarbons can be found in water at lower depths, as well. This is the first time these hydrocarbons have been found in microbes at that depth.

https://www.slashgear.com/oil-eating-bacteria-has-been-discovered-in-the-deepest-part-of-the-ocean-11572963/


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  • (Score: 4, Touché) by Hartree on Monday April 15 2019, @04:35AM (2 children)

    by Hartree (195) on Monday April 15 2019, @04:35AM (#829645)

    "We're looking for a politician eating bacteria. "

    Give the wee beasties a break. There are some things that just aren't fit to eat even for them.

    Starting Score:    1  point
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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 15 2019, @03:01PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 15 2019, @03:01PM (#829855)

    Start them off on a diet of lawyers then transition them to politicians.

    • (Score: 2) by Pslytely Psycho on Tuesday April 16 2019, @01:11AM

      by Pslytely Psycho (1218) on Tuesday April 16 2019, @01:11AM (#830213)

      But what will the superbugs eat AFTER the politicians and liars....err....lawyers are all gone?

      --
      Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.