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Deep Sea Microbes. By Andy Pacas and Anthony Esparza http://www.darkenergybiosphere.org/resources/toolbox.html. What are microbes?. Single celled organisms that make up the bacteria and archaea kingdoms They make up a majority of the life on Earth in terms of mass.
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Deep Sea Microbes By Andy Pacas and Anthony Esparza http://www.darkenergybiosphere.org/resources/toolbox.html
What are microbes? • Single celled organisms that make up the bacteria and archaea kingdoms • They make up a majority of the life on Earth in terms of mass. • They are the first organisms to form.
Role in Ecology • Nearly all microbes are either decomposers or producers. • They play the major role of maintaining the nitrogen and carbon cycles.
tiny Evolution • Microbes are the oldest organism on earth specifically 3.3 billion years. • Without them evolution would have been kaput!
Deep Sea • Life for the microbes in the deep ocean is intense. • Several factors in their environment are immense pressure, complete darkness, and restricted by lack of chemicals and nutrients in most places.
The ocean is separated into multiple biospheres or layers • Each of these sphere has it’s own characteristics. • Only areas that have lots of light have been heavily observed.
Alcanivorax borkumensis • This is the Latin name for the oil-eating microbe • This microbe is found naturally in the deep ocean feeding off oil seeping out of the floor. • Discovered recently the microbe Alcanivorax borkumensis has quickly became a global asset in terms of oil clean up for its cheap efficiency.
Pros/Cons of treatments Chemical/physical Biological • Physical is limited to the area in which it could treat and has some errors involved • Chemicals could remove the damages but can unintentionally harm the organisms involved • Can treat the whole problem with maximum efficiency and little to no effect to the organisms involved
Think • Why are microbes so essential to all life forms in terms of ecology and evolution? (5min)