March 15, 2017 - Natural methane is bubbling up from the middle of the Earth all around the world, and this man is uncovering some of its mysteries. National Geographic Explorer Jeff Marlow is working to understand the ways of a strange deep-sea world. Marlow, a geobiologist, analyzes sediment from the ocean floor that contains secrets to forces that are shaping our planet. Around the ocean’s many seeps of methane gas live colonies of microbes that feed on the methane. The gas is a significant contributor to the greenhouse effect. Observing the interaction between the tiny life forms and their unusual food source adds to the understanding of natural climate factors.
Marlow worked with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's Alvin submersible team to study methane seeps and microbes, a project funded by the National Science Foundation.
Make sure to learn more about the Alvin submersible at https://vimeo.com/album/4261384/Footage provided by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Ocean Exploration Trust.
