NEW DELHI: (PTI) Scientists plan to scan the Indian Ocean bed for underwater hotspots that are home to ancient and exotic creatures first discovered thriving under the Pacific Ocean two decades ago.
Giant tube-shaped worms, bacteria, and coral like organisms, are likely to exist under the Indian ‘Ocean as well, a French Marine ‘ecologist said at the international Congress on biochemistry and molecular biology.
Such creatures have fascinated scientists over the past two decades with their ability to thrive at undersea volcanic sites where temperatures reach 100 rightists over the past two decades with their ability to thrive at undersea volcanic sites where temperatures reach 100 degrees Celsius and where the high pressures would instantly crush ordinary organisms.
Speaking in a Congress session of life forms that can survive in extreme conditions, Dr, Daniel Desbruyeres of the institute of Marine Research in France said at least 300 such species have been found so far.
They include worms that grow up to 2meters long and bacteria that live comfortably in toxic volcanic environment.
An international program to search for similar life forms under the Indian Ocean is to begin by the end of this decade, Dr. Desbruyeres said. Basic work to map out possible sites is already under way, he ‘said. First discovered in 1977 under the Pacific Ocean, these deepsea life forms have since been found in the Atlantic Oceana’s well, surviving in a hostile environment at depths from 700 meters to 3400 meters under water.
Many of these organisms are survivors of ancient times, dating back to millions of years, Dr. Desbruyeres said, they seem to have survived the mass extinctions of the kind that wiped out the dinosaurs, he said.
‘These creatures are found at sites called undersea hydrothermal vents giant cracks on the seabed which spew out hot, toxic molten. Material from beneath. “This environment is a model for how organisms adapt to extremes,” Desbruyeres said.
Such habitats seem to be distributed along the Valleys of the 60,00km long mid oceanic ridges that almost circle the globe, passing through the Indian Ocean as well.
“We have planned a 5year program of exploring the Indian Ocean bed which should take off around the year 2000,” Desbruyeres said.
Focusing on another extreme habitat, an Indian biologist told the Congress that his studies on Antarctic bacteria point out how microorganisms have adapted to the Antarctic climate where temperatures hover between minus 89 and plus 5 degrees.
Dr. S. Shivaji of the Center for cellular and molecular biology from Hyderabad said these bacteria are equipped with enzymes that can operate at subzero temperatures and also have genetic mechanisms adapted to the cold.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 11, 1994
