Become a fan of Slashdot on Facebook

 


Forgot your password?
Close
typodupeerror
×
Science

Deep-Sea Creatures Captured Alive And Studied 29

Posted by timothy from the ripe-for-a-horror-movie dept.
techmaven writes: "A recent article on the NewsFactor network, 'Scientists Bring 'Em Back Alive from Ocean Depths,' reports that scientists at the University of California, Santa Barbara were able to capture and bring back alive from the bottom of the ocean, several deep-sea creatures rarely seen by humans, much less studied. The creatures may provide answers to how animals can survive in a cold, dark, gaseous environment."
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.

Deep-Sea Creatures Captured Alive And Studied More

Deep-Sea Creatures Captured Alive And Studied

Comments Filter:

  • I'm still amazed (Score:1, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Unusual creatures rock my boat.

    Seems the deep has got a ton of stuff that we've barely scratched the surface of.

    Ever stop to think how little we know about our own planet?

    I am still amazed by the jellyfish-like squid they caught on tape a few months back.

    It would be really cool if they could bring back some giant squid while they were at it.

    So how long until we can take 'tours' of the deep without getting wet?

  • Very expensive fish tank? (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Atrahasis ( 556602 ) on Thursday February 07, 2002 @09:03PM (#2971459) Homepage
    May provide answers to how creatures can survive at high temp and pressure? May?
    They are the answer to how they can survive. The interesting thing will be whether they are a different evolutionary track, the origin of the evolutionary track we're on, or a different branch of the evolutionary track.
    Its pretty cool to see a type of life that doesn't depend on sunlight for its energy source, though. Or entropy buffer.

    Another point as well - will they make their mind up about USB or UCSB? Two different abbrev. in one article isn't clever.

    • Actually, high pressure isn't much of an issue for creatures without air pockets inside - liquids are comparatively incompressible so it isn't an issue.


      On the other hand, they will still have dissolved gases in their "precious bodily fluids" (obscure reference alert!) so a fast decompression would still be bad...

    • >The interesting thing will be whether they are a different evolutionary track, the origin of the evolutionary track we're on, or a different branch of the evolutionary track.

      They (if by they you refer to the crabs, mussels, and worms) are merely species of crabs, mussels, and worms that at some time in the past became adapted to living in a different environment. They're no different in this respect from any other species.

      The article was a little unclear:
      ;"Now that we have them here, we are studying their rate of primary production (the rate of
      ;carbon fixation) in that environment, where there is no sunlight and they survive by
      ;chemosynthesis," Childress told NewsFactor."

      Actually the crabs, mussels, and worms do not directly get their energy from the hydrogen sulfide. That's the job of chemoautotrophic bacteria, who are the real freaks. These bacteria use the H2S as their energy source (this is where the 'primary production' happens); they are in turn the base of the 'food chain' in the vent communities. See a NASA page [nasa.gov] or a page from U of Georgia [uga.edu] for more.

  • Wow (Score:1)

    by Tadrith ( 557354 )
    Muscles and crabs are quite interesting, but I'm much more interested in seeing the fish up close. Most of the pictures out aren't very clear, no doubt due to the fact that I'm sure it's very difficult taking pictures at that level. If anyone knows of any sites with detailed information on this, it'd be much appreciated...
  • The creatures may provide answers to how animals can survive in a cold, dark, gaseous environment.

    Or even more amazingly, a liquid environment.... :P
    • The creatures may provide answers to how animals can survive in a cold, dark, gaseous environment.

      So might a visit to a Scottish pub on bubble-and-squeak night in winter.

  • Free Them! (Score:5, Funny)

    by Perdo ( 151843 ) on Thursday February 07, 2002 @11:19PM (#2972038) Homepage Journal
    Wouldn't you love to see PETA try to release them?

    "We are keeping them in a 20-foot shipping container that has eight different pressure systems that provide 3,000 pounds of pressure per square inch,"

    PETA #1:Quik, Open that pressure door.

    PETA #2:Are you sure? The sign says !DANGER!

    PETA #1:Those stupid scientists are just trying to fool us into not freeing gia's little creatures!

    PETA #2:Oh, alrighty the.... ***BOOM***
  • To me the description about their survival sounds a little like they're all nervous.

    Pacing back and forth. Attached to inanimate objects -- but fussy about them and quickly discarded. Lastly, they're nibbling on any food in their path.

    Yup, those scientists picked a real winning group. Best find the 'marine shrink' soon.
  • ... I'm hungry

  • how? (Score:2)

    by Snafoo ( 38566 )
    ...may provide answers to how animals can survive in a cold, dark, gaseous environment."
    And *how*, exactly, are they going to smuggle them into the Senate?
  • "These animals live in the dark, in highly variable temperatures, where hot springs are surrounded by cold water. The warm water has no oxygen, so they have to have access to both cold and warm water," he explained

    Wow, running hot and cold water. They need to work on lighting, though.

  • Maybe we should leave those deep-sea creatures where they are.
  • I remember hearing in my chemistry class that Ben and Jerry's puts tons of money into deep sea research so they can figure out how the fish at such cold temperatures keep ice crystals from forming. The theory being that ice crystals make for bad ice cream

    Does studying tube worms from hot volcanic vents mean that now Ballpark will have higher quality hot dogs?
  • "...how animals can survive in a cold, dark, gaseous environment."

    Sounds like the mens room here at work.
  • Thus far, the animals are thriving. According to Childress, the tube worms are growing, the mussels are attaching and moving around, and the crabs are claiming "first post"s on slashdot.

    graspee

Slashdot Top Deals

Somebody ought to cross ball point pens with coat hangers so that the pens will multiply instead of disappear.

Close