The earth consists of 30% land and 70% water. Man has ventured into the seas in search of oil, fish and treasure yet much of the world`s oceans remains unexplored.

Very little is known about the deeper parts of the oceans and the abbasal plains of the sea floor where high pressures and no light make it difficult for man to survive. Scientists, however are continuously developing new technologies to enable man to peak into this unknown world.

New Discoveries!

Scientists have been able to penetrate some parts of the ocean floor and have made some suprising discoveries. In the late 1980`s scientists explored part of the ocean trench on the western coast of South America and found organisms called tube worms living near the vents. These animals were able to survive the intense pressures at this depth, the poisonous sulphur gas emiting from the vent and manufacture food without the aid of sunlight.

How?

These tube worms were using the heat from the vents to chemically convert their food.