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Article: U of C alumnus finds high numbers of heat-loving bacteria in cold Arctic Ocean.
- Article from:
- NewsRx Science
- Article date:
- October 11, 2009
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A team of scientists led by U of C grad Casey Hubert has detected high numbers of heat loving, or thermophilic, bacteria in subzero sediments in the Arctic Ocean off the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen. The bacterial spores might provide a unique opportunity to trace seepages of fluids from hot sub-seafloor habitats, possibly pointing towards undiscovered offshore petroleum reservoirs.
These thermophiles exist in the Arctic Ocean sediment as spores - dormant forms that withstand adverse conditions for long periods, waiting for better times. Experimental incubations at 40 to 60 degrees Celsius revive the Arctic spores, which appear to have been transported from ...