Scientists diving to astounding depths in two oceanic trenches in the northwest Pacific have discovered thriving communities of marine creatures. Amazingly, these trenches lie at depths greater than the height of Mount Everest, Earth's tallest peak. The deepest one reaches 9,533 metres (31,276 feet) below the ocean surface in the Kuril–Kamchatka Trench. This is almost 25 per cent deeper than such animals had previously been documented anywhere. While most animals get their sustenance by eating organic matter, the researchers were surprised to discover that these creatures get their energy from chemicals. This is a process known as chemosynthesis.