Methyl-compound use and slow growth characterize microbial life in 2-km-deep subseafloor coal and shale beds [Environmental Sciences]

The past decade of scientific ocean drilling has revealed seemingly ubiquitous, slow-growing microbial life within a range of deep biosphere habitats. Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 337 expanded these studies by successfully coring Miocene-aged coal beds 2 km below the seafloor hypothesized to be "hot spots" for microbial life. To...

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