Here's What You'll Find Living In The Deepest Spot On Earth
Giant, single-celled Xenophyophores: The sponge-like animals were found in 2011 at a depth of 6.6 miles by footage from National Geographic's Dropcams. The organisms are about four inches long.
Deep-sea microbial mats: Clumps of microorganisms were found in samples collected during James Cameron's mission to the bottom of the trench in 2012.
Amphipods: Seven-inch-long crustaceans that look like shrimp were found in the deepest part of the trench, called Challenger Deep.
Sea cucumbers: These relatives of starfish were recently found to exist in large numbers on the deep sea floor. The vacuum cleaners of the ocean survive by sucking up mud that contains small organic particles.
Snailfish: The deepest fish in the ocean trenches were found feeding at the bottom of the Pacific at around 8,000 feet in 2008.
Jellyfish: The deepest-known jellyfish was photographed by National Geographic's Dropcams, though none of these species have ever been collected.
You might have a second opportunity to see these animals.
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