Deep-Sea Surprise: Scientists Discover Life Hiding Under the Ocean Floor
OFF THE COAST OF CENTRAL AMERICA — In a groundbreaking announcement this week, a team of international scientists revealed they have discovered a whole new world of life where no one expected it: beneath the ocean floor. While we have known for decades that strange creatures live around deep-sea volcanic vents, this is the first time humans have found life living underneath those vents in the Earth's crust. This discovery suggests that the habitat for deep-sea creatures is much larger than we ever imagined.
The discovery was made using a high-tech underwater robot named SuBastian. The robot was launched from a research ship called the Falkor (too), which is operated by the Schmidt Ocean Institute. For thirty days, the team explored the seafloor of the Pacific Ocean, nearly 8,000 feet below the surface. This environment is one of the harshest on Earth. The pressure is so intense it would crush a regular boat, and the water is pitch black because sunlight cannot reach such great depths.
- Chemosynthesis:
- The process by which certain organisms use chemicals, rather than sunlight, to produce food.
- Crust:
- The outermost solid layer of a planet.
- Ecosystem:
- A community of living things and their environment interacting together.
- Precision:
- The quality of being very exact and accurate.
- hydrothermal vents:
- Openings on the ocean floor that release hot, mineral-rich water from deep inside the Earth.
- photosynthesis:
- The natural process by which plants use sunlight to create food and energy.
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About this news article passage for Upper Elementary
“Deep-Sea Surprise: Scientists Discover Life Hiding Under the Ocean Floor” is a news article reading passage about Deep Sea Exploration, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 4 minutes to read (657 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.