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Call for questions: Deep Sea Microbiology (Patreon)

Published:
2023-05-10 06:40:23
Imported:
2026-06

Content

The deep sea is mysterious enough, what with alien-looking long legged ghost creatures. But what about the things that are TOO TINY to even see? Someone studies that, -- Harvard scholar Dr. Peter Girguis -- and I'm asking him questions. 

Leave yours below and let me know if I've never said your name or if I've said it wrong, and I'll get to as many as I can!

Okay, Deep Sea Microbio. Your questions. 

Wheee, Ward

Ps: new ep will be up in a few hours. It's a bonkers one with so much great research and we're putting the finishing touches on now. It's being digitally birthed as I type this.

Comments

Chris Brewer

How does bacteria survive that deep?

Ryleigh Whitfield

How are micro plastics affecting the teeny tinies, if at all?

Cian verbridge

(My first question)Deep sea vents? How do those lil critters convert the heat from those vents into a useable for of energy?

Joshua Hawkins

First time question asker: Do the lights on deep sea probes cause damage to life that has evolved in complete darkness?

Doctor (almost!) Elder

Are deep sea critters adapted for all that immense pressure down there?

Lazer Introlegator

Compared to other bacteria, are deep sea bacteria more closely related to archaea as they both have adaptations that let them live in extreme environments, or is just a coincidence of nature and evolution?

Corrie Navis

How are researchers tackling the challenge of studying microbes that live in sometimes very extreme/unique environments, that may be hard to replicate for culturing them in the lab? (p.s. DadWard my last name is pronounced like the word novice, if you happen to ask my Q. 😊)

Marie Kluge

Will we ever be able to reach the deepest place in the ocean and study the biology there?

Euan Munro

How do tiny microbes deal with the immense pressure of being deep underwater?

aa.brown.bb

Did we all spawn from the single-celled little buggers around the hydrothermic vents? Also, what can we learn from the chemolithotrops living in +700°F waters (both scientifically and also as life lessons)?

Savannah

First time question asker: i am studying my honours in marine biology and wanted to know if there are endemic or “island” populations of microbes on hydrothermal vents or deep sea mounts. And are they vulnerable to anthropogenic activities?

Jackie Wydra

Do any of the little itty-bitties have a chance of surviving in replicated environments up here at the surface so that we can study them and, if so, is there any promising research that suggests that micros may have implications in human medicine? (Last name pronounced why-druh.)

Megan Ramirez

Could we have the deep sea equivalent of a space station? Like a base underwater where a team of scientists could go stay for a while and study? I think that would be rad - but how feasible would it be? 🤔

Michelle Lee

This! So curious about how researchers tackle this issue

Michelle Lee

Just generally curious about deep sea microbial diversity, especially how it compares to (regular?) sea diversity

Michelle Lee

Also! Is there anything Dr. Girguis can tell us about how climate change is impacting deep sea microbiology?

Rosie S.

I’ve read about some organizations (e.g. Running Tide) that are facilitating carbon removal and restoring ocean alkalinity using dissolvable limestone buoys to grow algae (that then sinks to the bottom of the ocean once the buoys dissolve.) Do you have any thoughts or potential ecological concerns about this intervention? (Sounds brilliant to me, but I’m not a deep sea microbiologist!)

Alex

I’d love to learn more about our tiny friends living near the hydrothermal vents! I imagine there are all kinds of weird and wonderful approaches to life emerging there!

Leila Laco

How likely do you think it is that life on Earth began in hydrothermal vents, and has studying deep sea microbiology affected your views on this at all?

Leila Laco

How important are deep sea microbes for the wider ocean ecology and/or food webs?

Riley Mac

First time question ! Could deep sea microbes survive at the surface and if so, how catastrophic would that be for us surface dwellers ?

Marie

Can you Ask about extremophiles in the deep ocean, why live there? Would not life other places be easier? What to they do for the ecosystem and diversity to they change or affect their environment

Ellie Frances

First time question asker: how does the pressure down in the deep sea affect the growth of these teeny organisms? Anything super different in the deep sea than microorganisms on land?

Kristina Kunze

How is climate change effecting hydrothermal vents? Will the heating of the earths core cause the vents to transport too many minerals, and that snow ball into effecting fish populations? How are samples collected? What does research look like in deep ocean studies? Does studying the deep ocean cause daily existential crisis’?

Clara Pfundt

How often do you think about calcareous ooze and/or siliceous ooze? (ps Pod Dad, first name: Claire-a, last name: Funt. I’m gonna be so excited if you ask this, I just want to hear you say “ooze” on the pod hehehee).

Shannon Siegel

Is there a depth in the ocean that climate change has less of an effect or is being less changed? Or does climate change have just an overall effect no matter the depth?

phinn markson

What mechanisms do microbes employ to deal with the extreme pressure?

Margaretha Krug Aase

OMG! So many things I want to ask! First time question asker, name pronounced Mar-Gar-Eh-taaaaa :D I'm studying microorganisms+fungi and their role in plant root nutrient exchange cycles, and I NEED to know if there are any fungal-ish equivalent in the deep?

Margaretha Krug Aase

And also: What do the microbes eat, and who eats them, and are there any plant-microbe collaboration going on down there? And by the way, what about plants that deep? Are there any?

Bill LaBranche

FTQA: This is a DEEP question... Does El Nino and La Nina warm/cold water patterns affect the ocean's deep sea "micro biome"?

Julia Vollmer

I know you developed the underwater mass spectrometer. What modifications had to be made to a regular mass spectrometer to do this, and have you made any interesting findings with it?

Julia Vollmer

Have you discovered and named a new species of extremophile?

Julia Vollmer

Besides microbes, what other organisms are living in these extreme areas, and do they have any symbiotic relationships with the microbes?

Hannah Walsh

Why is everything down there so bloody weird?

UltraCheese

Why havent the archea near thermal vents evolved into creatures yet?

Imogen Lovell

What do you think is the strangest and/or most surprising little microorganism living down in the deep sea?

Aubrey Nelson

Are there any deep sea microbes that are also found at or near the surface? If so how do they differ in the less pressurized environment vs deep sea?

Marianne Thomas

All the questions about hydrothermal vents is making me wonder - do we know if there are areas of the ocean where nothing survives? Is there anywhere too cold/dark/ barren for even bacteria?

WiseMamaWitch

Is it true that only 20% of the ocean has been explored? I know the pressure is a huge obstacle, but if technology has gotten us into outer space, there has got to be a way to get down there… 🤔

Cass Goodnight, RVT, CPDT-KA

I’ve seen a lot of questions about climate change but I’m curious about microplastics specifically and how they’re impacting the ocean on a microscopic level?

JENN 'Benthopelagic squirrel' ALVAREZ

Are there microbes that are harmful to some sea life but necessary for other sea life to live? & yes, you've said my name and called me a wus. 😂

Sam and Katie

First time question asker! I remember hearing about the Global Conveyer Belt super briefly back in college and its lived rent free in my brain ever since. Since it supposedly takes 1000 years to complete, does that mean that there are ancient microorganisms just... floating along in it?? Or if it's just water - what kind of effect, if any, does it have on deep sea life?

EdNoGG

How often is there a new micro organism discovered in the deep? Are they more plant or animal related?

Sage Scarberry

Do deep sea organisms behave differently than those who live closer to the surface? Like, do they reproduce less frequently and live longer?

Sage Scarberry

Has pollution affected the ecosystem in the deep sea?

Sage Scarberry

How is the cell structure different for deep sea critters? Do they have to have denser cell walls or different energy production?

Sage Scarberry

Has there been any evidence for sea monsters like the kraken or leviathan?

Sage Scarberry

Are there fungi down there? (lol taken out of context that would sound so rude)

Average_pi

Why does anything live down there at all?

Sage Scarberry

Ooh good question! I don’t think you could just put them on a slide under a microscope because the pressure difference would alter them.

Annmarie Everhart

First Time Question Asker: How are plastics, and specifically nanoplastics, in the ocean impacting deep sea microbiology? Also, is it true that less is scientifically known about the deep ocean versus outer space?

Sage Scarberry

How deep into the sea have you gone, and is it scary? What kind of adaptations does the machinery have to have to protect the humans inside? How long is a typical excursion into the deep?

Katie King

How frequently are you discovering something completely new when studying deep sea microbes?

Popita

Is there anything we can learn from deep sea microbes that can help combat global warming or help come up with new treatments for diseases?

Connie Brooks

Two questions: What is meant by non carbon-based life? And are there any cryptids in the deep sea?

Will Clark

Has the absolute deepest part of oceans been explored? If so. What's the deal? :)

Katie King

Is the temperature in the deep sea being affected by climate change? Is this affecting microbes?

Molly Cannon

How do you retrieve specimens? When you study them, how do you replicate their environment?

Jacintha Jaa

Does sea life have the same virology as land animals? Is there a seasonal cold or flu season in the ocean? How prevalent is bacteria in the ocean and in sea life? And how do viruses and bacteria effect sea life? And how is climate change effecting the bacterial balance in the ocean?

A. J. C.

Do micro-organisms suffer from rapid depressurization the same way as macro-organisms? And if so, how do we efficiently get them to the surface to study?

Katie King

Is there any way to track or observe how deep sea microbes have changed over time? Do you think that they are similar to what was in the ocean when dinosaurs were around or do they change much? Is there any sort of fossil record of microbes?

Jessa Terry

(My First Question!!) Is it true we know more about space than we do about the ocean?! How can we access the deeper areas to learn more??

Sam Phillips-Corwin

Are there deep sea fungi, like yeast, molds, or other tiny free floating ones (I mean, if you know about any normal sized deep sea mushrooms, that would be cool too)?

Sam Phillips-Corwin

What are the most common types of bacteria found on whale falls? And would a whale degrade faster in the deep sea or on land (from bacteria and molds)?

Lauren Cooper

Holy bananas this is the coolest ology I have ever heard of! I work as a clinical microbiologist so I am FULL of questions. Have you found any bacteria down there that really surprised you? What sorts of conditions do you need to grow these critters in the lab, outside of their normal environment?

Sam Phillips-Corwin

Is there e-coli in the deep? I hope not. Has a researcher ever gotten a deep-sea infection? Do you think that could happen in the future? I used to volunteer at an aquarium and they warned us that we could potentially get a "fish cold" from touching the sea stars too much, so it doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility.

Shelby Mills

Would they, because if difference in pressure, expand/explode if they were brought to the surface? Or are microbes immune to pressure changes? I am curious if studying them is difficult due to this!!!! Lots of deep sea creatures (large, no microscope needed) are hard to study due to tissue sensitivity to the pressure change, resulting in damage, and poor outcomes on research!!

Megan

I'm sure the answer to this is going to be "hella", but how connected are all the deep sea minibits to the ocean ecosystem as a whole? Like, are there teeny tinies down there that like, tiger sharkes (for example) indirectly rely on because they're somewhere on the food chain?

Tyra pereira

Ooh this is such a great topic! Have you heard about a mythical sea creature or one from a book and then found or heard of one being found that resembled said creature?

Cnidarian Knight

Okay… deep sea death pits? What’s going on there?

Maddie S.

Are these organisms sensitive to changes in light intensity? Since they are rarely, if ever, exposed to sunlight, Are they more susceptible to damage caused by UV?

Joe Wilkie

how do lil micro-organisms deal with the crushing pressure at the bottom of the sea? what’s the most mythical creature in the depths of the ocean? do I still have a chance to fight a sea monster? why do legends like the kraken and sea serpents exist? what are their origin?

Kayla Pilcher

What technology is being developed (or has already been) that helps you research so deep? How do you even get down there!

Joe Wilkie

how many undiscovered organisms are down there?

Leilani Wolfe

First- time question asker here: with so much of the ocean floor blissfully untouched by humans, is that environment somewhat safe from climate change and pollution? (First name pronounced "Lay-LAH-nee" if you read it. Thanks!)

Kelsey Larson

(Never said before) How are deep sea thermophilic bacteria similar and different from thermophilic bacteria in places like Yellowstone? I grew up near “The Park,” and I was always so impressed by their beautiful colors and how they survived in that extreme heat!

Jesse Hurlburt

Hope can the microscopic creatures of the deep help us prepare for further space travel and plantational living outside of earth?

Ella

Do ocean microbes do the same sorts of things as terrestrial microbes? Or do they behave completely different?

Maren Prophit

Have you ever been on an deep sea dive as part of your research? What was that experience like?

Kathryn Knopinski

How much life lives in the deep seabed itself? How far down is there life?

Chandler Witherington

What are your thoughts on deep sea mining? How can we help people understand the value of the things we can’t see? Also, have there been any medicinal-related discoveries from deep sea microbes?

Cate Muenker

I took marine microbiology in college and it freakin’ blew my mind! Always been fascinated with deep sea vents (mostly for the invertebrates living there)-one of my mentors at Rutgers-Fred Grassle- went down in the Alvin. How many new bacteria and viruses have been discovered recently? What cool properties do these bacteria have? What research is being done on them? What possible uses do they have for pharmaceuticals or bioremediation? (One well known discovery is the thermo-stable enzyme Taq polymerase which was isolated from Thermus aquaticus hydrothermal bacteria used for PCR). Since vents are so far from each other (like isolated islands at the bottom of the sea), are the species all unique, evolutionarily distinct populations? Do you have a favorite trench?

Rebecca Cloud

For deep sea microorganisms, do we know if they'd do well in other intense environments? Like a taridegrade in space?

Michael Wegman

Is there any photosynthesis going on and if so, is the typical color of the photosynthesizing organisms different than the typical green color we see on land because of the attenuation of wavelengths of light as you go lower and lower into the ocean?

Findlay Munro

Are there any deep sea fungi? I’ve heard of deep sea bacteria and archaea which have weird and wonderful biochemistry, are there similar deep sea fungi and what adaptations have they had to make?

Justin Schilling

Do we have any idea whether the distribution of viruses can be stratified across the ocean depths?

nikki

First timer here! Are the effects of ocean acidification even thoughout varying ocean depths, and if so, how is it affecting microorganisms?

Finlay

how do these microorganisms even stay alive down there? geothermal vents?? or is it something else. also how can you study something like deep sea microorganisms? how does one acquire samples to study? cannot wait to hear this episode!!

B. Lion

Hello! What do we know about microplastics in the deep sea & some of the effects it has on the ecosystem down there??

Robin Stumbo

Very specific question, but is it known how Osedax worms exchange nutrients with their bacterial symbionts? I just finished a literature review on them for my class and from what I was able to find, we don't know if they eat them directly or if they exchange nutrients in some other way??? Please just talk about siboglinid worms in general cuz they're so weird.

Julie-Anne

Does the water pressure in these deep sea environments make sciencing super hard? How specialized is the equipment you use for sample retrieval? Does the expense of it all change how you design experiments, since getting more samples is so hard? (second-time-question-asker, though never had an episode shout out!)

Lina Staudt

(I'm not sure if the question fits but I'll try) Are the tiny ones down there affected by the way we dispose of medicinal waste?

Potato Puffer

Are deep sea microbes attracted to light if they ever encounter it? Like in a lab.

Janelle Shaw

How does anything survive so far down with no sunlight?! Does oceanic snow effect the microorganisms?

Janelle Shaw

How far down has Dr. Peter gone? What are his favorite species in the ocean? (Big or small)

Jani Rounds

Tell me EVERYTHING! But seriously, how closely is anything down there related to up here stuff? Like are there micro organisms that are closely related to surface bacteria or has it all taken a deeply (get it) different evolutionary path? (Also second or third time question asker but I didn’t realize I had to tell you I was a first time question asker but it’s ok if I don’t get a shout out, I’m just happy to be here)

Erin Knapp

Tardigrades! Why are they so cute? What do they do? Why are they considered nearly indestructible? What’s their deal!

Courtney Carey

Are we seeing harmful affects from global warming and/or pollution in deep sea microorganisms?

Maité Huerta

Can you please explain how hydrothermal vents work and how tiny critters can live down there without turning getting cooked and falling apart like gross overdone steamed broccoli? (I’ve never had my name said on the show and my name is pronounced my-TEH where-tah)

Colin Maydahl

Didn't I hear that some of the deep sea micro critters are helping develop new antibiotics? I've got cystic fibrosis and some antibiotic resistant bug living in my lungs :( Thank you!!!!

Michael Swords

I'm so excited for this topic. Marine Aquatic Microbial Ecology was one of my favorite classes. If someone wanted to work in this field - can they do it without an advanced degree. Where would they start? Asking for a friend...?

Christopher Blubaugh

First Time Question Asker… As the pressures of the deep could be a contrast to the pressures on a martian environment, is anyone testing these microbes for radiation tolerance as well?

Sarah Jackson

Do deep sea animals tend to have longer lifespans than their upper ocean counterparts? First time asker here :)

Robin Kuehn

What do they tell us about ancient oceans? Have living deep sea microcritters been around longer than other life?

MacKenna Butler

Can diatoms be used as a climate change solution by producing a lot of them and adding them back into the environment or would that upset the balance of the ecosystem too much?

Vincent Beck-Jones

We know that there are microbes working to break down the plastics in the Ocean. If we stopped adding to the gyres today, How long at current growth rate of the microbiomes would it take to break them down and would the microplastics (as a byproduct) pose a significant threat to sea life?

Hudson Ansley

Are you excited about the possibility of geo-thermal vents under the ice on Europa and other icy moons? Can you speculate what kinds of chemical signatures in plumes, etc, might indicate their existence?

Jeanette Moss McCurdy

Is it true that our bodies don’t recognize some deep sea bacteria, and if so, could these microbes be used somehow in immunology?

Traveler Gates

If you could be one microscopic deep sea creature which one would it be and why? Ps. This is my first time asking a question 😊

Stephanie Coombes

Same thing! If the microbes are used to such high pressures, do they just get, floppy?

Erin Gunderson

Please tell us it's true that there are microorganisms that primarily metabolize sulphur compounds, rather than oxygen or CO2!?! So many questions! Is there much oxygen in the deep? How prevalent are they compared to oxygen metabolizers? Are they isolated to deep sea vents or are they found elsewhere? Are there many kinds, or just a few? Did it arise once and radiate or has it popped up many times?

James Davenport

Do you consider the search for extraterrestrial, microbiological life in the seas of Jupiter’s moons to be an extension of your field of work? And do you have any thoughts on the Juice spacecraft or it’s malfunctioning radar?

Hope

Are some deep sea microbes fluorescent? If so what function does that serve for them?

Kai Kishimoto

Is there a zone that's too far from the sun and too far from the deep sea vents to support any free-living microbes?

Kate Oldham

Has anything in the deep sea microbiology world been discovered that is cuter or just as cute as tardigrades?

Judy Perkins

have you actually been to a hydrothermal vent or are they too deep and how do those vents form?

Stephanie Coombes

What percent of deep sea life does the microbes make up? Is is like the phytoplankton which is ..a lot…and a huge part of the food chain down there)

GreenBriar

How many undiscovered species could there be? Like, microbes we haven't seen nor imagined.

Laura Bajurin

How is the deep sea being affected by climate change (ocean acidification/ warming temps)? Can you also talk about the plans to directly inject CO2 into the deep ocean as a form of carbon sequestration? What would be the affects of this?

Anna Frazier

How does the study of the little guys in our ocean help us understand astrobiology? ie aliens!!

Frankie Sellitto

In your opinion, what is the coolest non-carbon based life form in the deep sea? Are there aliens down there?

Alex

What is your view of the origination of proton gradients and cellular life in hydrothermal vents?

Vanessa Marshak

How do they deal with the pressure? 😁

Katie Hultman

Yes! I want a house like Sandy Cheeks!

The Aerial Mapper

How has ocean acidification affected plankton and how does that affect the overall ocean ecology?

Rose C.M

Are the deep sea microorganisms affected by pollution (global warming, plastic, p-fast, chemicals, etc.) as much as it does for the surface creatures, or are they sort of immune since they live so far from the surface and with such extreme conditions?

Katie Hultman

I'm very excited about this episode. Please tell us about your Sea Monsters course! Also, how did you figure out that lighting can be powered by microbes and could that be a more sustainable option in the future?

Rose C.M

What's your favorite discovery in your field of study?

Rose C.M

How does one become a deep sea microbiologist such as yourself? For example, I'm living in Montreal, Canada far from the sea, and starting undergraduate study in biology very soon (so excited!!!). I wonder if that's a field I can consider pursuing or if I would need to live by the sea where I can more easily reach the deep sea for samples.

Casey Blue (lifeofblue19)

How does deep sea microbiology differ from regular (terrestrial?) micro in terms of techniques? Specifically for gathering samples and isolating organisms. I briefly did research on a specific yeast in soil, and that basically meant taking test tubes of dirt, smearing a bit of it around a Petri dish, then putting it in the autoclave to kill everything but the yeast we wanted. It was simple enough to swab something, then rub the swab on a petri dish, but I’m curious how different it is when you’re trying to get organisms from water instead of a solid surface.

Christine Wenzel

How does ocean plastic impact these deep-sea ecosystems? Is it a different way than upper levels? Could there be a microorganism in the sea that can "eat" plastic like we're seeing with some bacteria or worms here on land?

Patricia Evans

What is your view on deep sea "mining", e.g. scraping the bottom for nodules of rare earth metals? How much damage does this activity cause for the microbes and their food chain?

Earl of Greymalkin

1) How does deep sea microbiology compare to ...shallow sea microbiology, or freshwater microbiology? What about extremophiles by thermal vents in the ocean versus hot springs and things on the surface? 2) Is it possible to get accurate samples of the microbiomes of deep sea creatures? How hard is it to prevent contamination with other things floating through the water? Can you swab things with submarines or do creatures have to be brought up to the surface first? Can you chase a giant squid with a submarine holding a swab for a little swab boop to get a sample? Is it possible to capture creature poop for samples or does it drift away? 3) How much are microbes doing decomposition of dead things that fall to the bottom of the sea? Are there ocean fungi cleaning up down there? Are there ocean mushrooms?? 4) Is anyone doing bioprospecting for any reason with deep sea sampling? 5) Does deep sea microbiology relate to astrobiology at all? 6) How hard is it to culture deep sea samples? Can you recreate the proper conditions in the lab or is most of the data from sequencing? 7) How far can microbes spread around the oceans? Is there a distinct regionality between areas of the globe or can you find closely related species all over because ocean currents and migrating creatures mix everything up? Are there even ocean currents working in the deep sea regions?

Courtney Kudera

What environmental concerns surrounding deep sea micro biology? Deep sea mining is a big topic right now, how would deep sea mining impact deep sea microbiology? Can we look to the deep sea for any medical solutions? Thank you thank you thank you and keep looking for the tinies!

Ella Whaanga

I'm in New Zealand and our government just threw out the policy to ban deep sea mining, this is going to effect indigenous peoples who rely on the coastal lines to be clean and marine life to be balanced to survive. In the long run what effect does this have on the microbiology in the deep sea and do we know how important that life is to maintain balance in the ocean?

Kyle

Do you ever feel like you are under a lot of pressure when studying deep sea microbiology?

Jakin Yang

What’s the deal with the creatures that can survive on those super hot thermal vents? How do they survive??? Also, I read a study that a lot of ocean plastic that is “unaccounted for” is actually ending up on the ocean floor. Are there micro organisms that are eating those plastics and are they doing okay or is it wreaking havoc down there too?

Cristina Aguaiza

What is the ecological role of these organisms in the deep sea? Are there big differences compared with the pelagic zones?

Zed Shirogane

Are they being effected by changing conditions at the surface due to climate change? Or because they’re so far down they’re chill: because I know the currents are slowing due to the change and that may stop the flow of nutrients.

Adam Foote

Are there different microbes at different sediment depths? How quickly does the biota change as you sink into the mud and goop? Also how deep do they go? How have recent advances in genome sequencing technologies opened up the field? Sincerely, a burned-out invertebrate biologist

Ry_ofthetiger

Longtime listener, first time question asker: 1) Does horizontal gene transfer play a big role in microbes’ ability to adapt to extreme environments?

Ry_ofthetiger

2) Do you expect to see species of fruiting fungi (mushrooms) in deep sea environments?

Jessi B

In what ways can deep-sea microbes potentially benefit human society, such as in medicine, biotechnology, or environmental sustainability? Are there any specific applications or potential discoveries that excite you in this regard?

Elena

Hi I’m a first time question asker! How do microorganisms differ from sea level microorganisms in order to withstand the pressure? How do they handle the range in temps between cold and dark spots and hot lava heated spots?

Anna Burgin

Are there underground deep sea critters? We have animals up here that live in underground burrows, but are there deep sea critters that dig down into the sediment to create their own underwater-underground tunnels and such?

Mark Hewlette

What percentage of the deep sea micro biology has been studied? I'll bet there are tons of new things to discover and learn about. Must be soooo fascinating! Thank you for sharing!

A_rexis

I've heard we've only explored 1% of our oceans: does that mean there's a lot more microbiology to be found? Or is it expected to be pretty consistent throughout the deep sea?

Britt Kline

Do you think, like in the Amazon, there are potential medicines/medical cures hiding way down there?

Meg Shooter

I want to ask the same question but in terms of - is there enough data to graph changes over a long period of time, or is the knowledge of these little critters 'too new'.

Ella

How is chemosynthesis? Why is chemosynthesis?

Rae

HOW did archaea end up surviving in environments as massively different and separated as deep-sea vents, and hot springs at national parks like Lassen Volcanic and Yellowstone? Surely, at one time our planet was covered with them, and it's easy to see how the ones in the ocean survived, but.... how'd they survive all the billions of years of planetary changes (including a supervolcano erupting!) to make it into what are now very inland hot springs? WHY are they surviving so well in environments that are SO chemically different? (unfortunately none of the interpretive staff at the visitor centers on the days I visited those national parks could answer these questions)

Tara Villanova

I'm submitting this question for my son Jason Langshaw, first time question asker: "I love the way that all trophic webs all across the world are fully dependent on the input of energy from the sun... and then hydrothermal vents are discovered and that fundamental basis is completely blown out of the water (get it?). It's almost like seeing an alien ecosystem. Do you think that the existence of chemosynthetic microorganisms on Earth gives support to the idea of life, or even complex life, on other planets that may be starlight-deficient? Alternatively, do you think there could even be undiscovered ecosystems here on Earth that don't rely on the sun OR hydrothermal input, but something else entirely?"

Jake Morgan

Hi Jacob here, first time question asker! My question is: Are there any viruses or bacterium that live in deep sea volcanoes that could pose a threat to humans if they ever found their way up to the mainland?

Tom Boodry

First time question asked: Since some deep sea organisms have slower metabolisms to cope with the environment, is the same true for microorganisms or are their lifecycles similar to terrestrial microorganisms?

Trevor Hagedorn

Could studying these microorganisms help with understanding how life could exist on other planets?

Heather Moore

Does the sheer amount of viruses impact the rate of evolution in the deep sea vs. land? How does evolution differ between surface sea and deep sea microbiology?

Ms. Nowak

Are there any similarities between deep sea microorganisms and the microorganisms that live in our gut? How much overlap is there? (Nowak is pronounced with a short a sound, like in cat)

Dorit

Please ask about how the polymerases from deep sea microbes were used for the invention of PCR (which we all have heard a lot about since covid testing). I think it's an awesome story.

Jessica Schlarbaum

First time question asker and so excited for this episode! When and how did early researchers start examining the deep sea? How much has this field of research evolved with new technology and was there a specific piece of equipment that changed the game?

Arnold Jamtart

Does the pressure of the deep have much influence on how proteins are folded at depth? If so, would these organisms be able to survive and reproduce at sea level?

DdogSeattle

First timer! You rock Alie! Do all creatures in the deepest parts of the sea need bioluminescence to see/survive? Or do they use that for other purposes? Thanks - You rock Alie!

Specs Owl

How do they, you know, do it? Are there any weird mating rituals in the deep sea?

Mx

is there any research focused on detecting and measuring micro plastics in the deep sea? have any been found within microorganisms?

Sarah and Michael

Hi!! First time question asker - had to get one in for this as I'm *obsessed* with deep-sea documentaries :) There are tons of amazing/weird/eerie creatures in the deep - does that diversity extend to the microorganisms found down there as well? Is there a microorganism equivalent of the anglerfish or magnapinna? Also, hi Alie! Thanks for everything you do!!! <3

Phoebe Teskey

I'm so curious about the possibility of deep sea humanoid creatures. Mermaids, if you will.

Madison Woofter

First time question asker and this may be a really stupid, definitely crazy one. But could studying deep sea microbiology in any way transfer to the study of deep space microbiology? Do you think there are such things as microbes in deep space?

Ted Vician

Has anyone named one of these deep ocean microbes after dread Cthulhu?

Mary Concannnon

How are microplastics affecting the ocean?

Michael MacLeod

Three questions! 1) How can we use metagenomics to study deep ocean microbial communities? 2) Do microbes that live around deep sea thermal vents have any special adaptations to live in these extreme environments? 3) What can deep sea thermal vents teach us about the origin of life??

Samantha Heinicke

1) Are there any other abiotic facotors involved in chemotroph energy production aside from Carbon Dioxide and Hydrogen Sulfide? 2) Are there really chemotrophs that were discovered on and/or in glaciers in Antarctica?

Your New Favorite Animal Podcast

Many deep sea creatures use bioluminescence, but they are big enough to be seen. Do microorganisms use it too?

Sam Burnett

1) Do you think deep sea vents are where life on earth originated? Or, do you at least prefer this hypothesis to the other origin hypotheses? 2) Is there a big bacteria party going on below the Earth's crust, or are any that we've found down there just terrestrial microbes that hitched a ride on the testing equipment? 3) What's the furthest depth that life can be found?

Allie Brown

How biodiverse is the deep sea?

Allegra Favila

What microbes, if any, cross between the brine pools and the deep sea?

Larn Arn

What are some notable symbiotic relationships between deep sea microbes and deep sea creatures?

Magdalena Castillo

First time question asker! How accurate was Finding Nemo?

Lee

First time question asker: So excited for this episode! Could you elaborate a bit on the main differences of the cellular structures between deep sea microbes and microbes found on milder places on earth? What do we know about how they survive these extreme condictions and can we use that knowledge in medicine and biotechnology? Are there any eukaryotic organisms living in the reagion of hydrothermal vents or only procaryotes? Also I would love to know if our understanding of these microorganisms could help us in our search for life in space!

Steve Buchtel

First ever question: My friend Madeline asks “Does climate change impact the deep deep deep sea critters? If so, how?”

ConnieConnieBoBonnie

Are tardigrades too popular or is their popularity justified? Are there other microbes that you think are just as interesting as tardigrades that can be found in extreme environments like the deep sea?

Abby Grieb

I study microbial ecology and am so excited for this episode!!! 😍 is it possible that any deep sea microbes closely resemble what LUCA (last universal common ancestor) would have been like? Is the deep sea hydrothermal vent similar to the early earth where life first evolved?

Matt Hirschl

What is the most bizarre creature you have ever seen in the deep sea?

Luis Ortiz

First time question... deep in the ocean, could we find long lost viruses or bacteria that can be harmful to humans now a days?

Brenden O'Donnell

First time question asker: how do those hot water deep sea vents lead to the creation of life?

curly fry

When I think of the deep sea, I think of the kid's show Octonauts. Has Dr. Peter ever seen it? On a more serious note, how has the microbiology of the deep sea changed due to the affects of climate change, and how will it continue to do so?

Olivia

first time question asker: what do you think is the grossest thing about the ocean/deep sea

Chelsea-Victoria Turner

what sort of relationships do deep sea creatures form with microbes that may help them both to cope with such an extreme environment. are all deep sea creatures considered extreme philosophy? how do deep sea microbes differ from regular sea microbes, if any. Dame question goes for extremeophiles. what type are there and how do they differ from regular sea?

Don Elliot

What are your thoughts on the chances for life in the subsurface seas on europa, enceladus and titan? (I read recently that there is thought that Titan may have a subsurface water ocean as well as it's surface methane seas). That heating is apparently from the energy generated by massive tidal forces generated by the big honkin' planets they orbit.

curly fry

How do whales survive off of just the smallest little plankton and microbes? Why don't they eat bigger fish?

Courtney Leftwich

Can stem cell regeneration occur at a deep sea level? I watched an interview recently of a scientist who is living submerged for 100 days claiming he has developed new stem cells from living underwater!

Mel Shay

As a Librarian I fully believe reading graphic novels, manga, comics is just as complex and beneficial as reading traditional books. A lot of parents don't think so when it comes to their children's book choices. 😕 What are some benefits of reading these types of books?

Patricia Evans

What are the risks of deep sea "mining", dredging to go after nodules of rare earth minerals etc.? Do we really know what we are at risk of losing if we muck around (literally spewing sediments far and wide) in this fragile ecosystem?