Living animals found under the ocean floor at depth of 2,500 metres, hint at possibility of alien life

Scientists have for the first time made a remarkable discovery of animal life beneath the seafloor at a depth of 2,500 metres.

The discovery of animals close to the deep hydrothermal vent systems challenged the theory that just microbes inhabit the subseafloor region and suggested that more of Earth's crust is likely to harbour complex lifeforms.

This discovery has proved that life begins to thrive even in the most extreme environments and has increased hopes for finding life beyond Earth.

How didscientists find animal life beneath the seafloor?

The macroscopic life was discovered by a team of researchers beneath the deep ocean's seafloor which is one of the most extreme environments of Earth.

The study was published in Nature Communications and the remotely operated vehicle SuBastian was used on the research vesselFalkor (too)by the team to identify the animals.

Also Read:An ancient sunk seafloor beneath Pacific is impacting Earth's interior. Here's how

The investigation was carried out by the team around 8,250 feet (2,515 metres) beneath the sea across the eastern Pacific Ocean floor.

“Our discovery shows us that animal life in the ocean is not restricted to what we see on the seafloor surface, but that animal life extends into the shallow ocean’s crust,” said study co-author Sabine Gollner, who is a researcher at the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, while speaking to Gizmodo.

“The extent of the subseafloor cavities—horizontally and how deep they reach—is not known yet. The subseafloor habitat could be also very important for the succession at hydrothermal vents, as the seafloor and subseafloor habitats are connected," Gollner added.

What kind of animals were found by scientists?

In the discovery, the scientists found animals like tubeworms which were wriggling through cavities in the subseafloor.

The team specifically found the tubewormsR. pachyptilaandO. alvinaeand the musselsB. thermophilus besides polychaete worms and limpets.

Also Read:Dozens of massive craters discovered in Lake Michigan. No, asteroids didn't make them

“The study of the subseafloor biosphere for animal life has just begun,” stated the team in the paper.

“These efforts will lead to a better understanding of hydrothermal vent biogeochemistry, ecology, and evolution and its impact on global biodiversity, and connectivity, potentially leading to better management of seafloor surface and crustal subseafloor hydrothermal vents," it added.

(With inputs from agencies)