Life on Earth is powered by the sun; we are all fed, directly or indirectly, by photosynthesis. Where the sun doesn't shine, organisms have found other sources of life-giving energy. We talk to deep-sea researchers about whale falls, hydrothermal vents, methane seeps, and the many organisms that sustain themself on toxic chemicals such as methane. Science is only just beginning to understand how chemosynthetic life fits into the larger ocean food web. Does it make it all the way into the seafood we eat?
We also talk about the difficulty of exploring the sea floor. Humans have seen less than 99.99% of the ocean bottom; it's not an easy place to access. All three of our guests have been there:
Dr. Ellen Lalk, Stable Isotope Biogeochemist, US Geologival Survey/ Woods Hole Campus
Dr. Karen Lloyd, Wrigley Chair in Environmental Studies and Professor of Earth Sciences and Marine and Environmental Biology , University of Southern California
Dr. Amy Baco-Taylor, Professor of Oceanography and Environmental Science at Florida State University
