Extreme environments
Life flourishes on Earth, even in the most extreme regions. In the oceans these environments include the great depths where pressure is high, the oligotrophic low-production regions where food supply is poor, the polar regions where water temperatures and ice make life tough for marine organisms and the tropical regions where abundant sunlight causes high levels of stratification.
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Hydrothermal lifeforms
Deep-sea hydrothermal vents - where mineral-laden, acidic hot water spews out from the seafloor into the cold, dark ocean - would seem an unlikely place for life to exist. But a range of organisms have evolved to thrive in this extreme environment, by using special bacteria to convert the toxic fluids into energy via a process called chemosynthesis.Read more →
Polar regions
The polar regions are the areas around the geographical poles, the Arctic to the north and the Antarctic to the south. They are defined by the Arctic and Antarctic circles, situated at latitudes of 66° N and 66° S, respectively.
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