Thousands of strange creatures found deep in ocean

Associated Press ^ | Nov. 22, 2009 | CAIN BURDEAU

[Free ThinkerNY]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The creatures living in the depths of the ocean are as weird and outlandish as the creations in a Dr. Seuss book: tentacled transparent sea cucumbers, primitive "dumbos" that flap ear-like fins, and tubeworms that feed on oil deposits.

A report released Sunday recorded 17,650 species living below 656 feet, the point where sunlight ceases. The findings were the latest update on a 10-year census of marine life.

"Parts of the deep sea that we assumed were homogenous are actually quite complex," said Robert S. Carney, an oceanographer at Louisiana State University and a lead researcher on the deep seas.

Thousands of marine species eke out an existence in the ocean's pitch-black depths by feeding on the snowlike decaying matter that cascades down—even sunken whale bones. Oil and methane also are an energy source for the bottom-dwellers, the report said.

[paulycy]

[JoeProBono]

[paulycy]

Now you’re talking!

[paulycy]

[21twelve]

There was some Discovery show where they were using the old sound recording systems for submarines to research whale migration, etc. The expert was playing various recordings and saying things like “that’s a Blue Whale off the coast of Nova Scotia, that’s a Gray Whale about 200 miles west of San Diego.....and this one (plays a sound that is almost electrical/ synthetic) - we have no idea! It’s in the Indian Ocean trench at about 1000’” (I’m pretty sure it was around India somewhere, and it was real deep - guessing on the depth). Pretty weird.

[capt. norm]

Some of the weird creatures from the deep look as if they are Democrat/ACORN operatives!!

If one of them looks like Helen Thomas, I won't be looking.

[Dick Bachert]

That one's all DIGESTIVE SYSTEM and probably just consumes things (like freedoms) and craps (on everyone and everything in sight. I'll bet it came from HERE.

[stormer]

[stormer]

[SunkenCiv]

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	Gods Graves Glyphs	Thanks Free ThinkerNY. 17,650 species living below 656 feet, the point where sunlight ceases To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach
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[AndyJackson]

I was about to respond that the thing is all mouth, fat gut and A-H, and wondered how long before someone compared it to a dim or RINO politician.

[Miss Marple]

[BIGLOOK]

Figure 4. 160 degree Celcius vent with jelly-like bacterial mat (right-center). Inset shows photo-micrograph of mat.

Lo ihi has some interesting life forms at 1000 meters below sea level. (Well maybe not that interesting since Green Peace doesn't hang out there in the area protesting and protecting them from exploitation by marine biologists and Japanese Sushi chefs.)

[Redcitizen]

That looks like Pikachu.

[Redcitizen]

We had the same idea! (post 32)

[Miss Marple]

I never would have thought my years of cartoons with the grandkids would provide a useful reference!

And yes, that thing looks way too much like Pikacho. How weird!

[Ken H]

Wicked!

The science channel had a show about these creatures of the deep a while back. They rerun it from time to time.

[TheOldLady]

My late MIL gave Hubby and me a small painting of some mushrooms, and one of them looked remarkably like this little creature except upright and no exposed “roots.” We uh... hung it in a room where guests were unlikely to see it, went so far as to color-coordinate the room, and of course, we never pointed out the resemblance to dear old Mom.

[RikaStrom]

The things you find in nature.

[SeaDragon]

Can’t argue that one.