In one of the deepest underwater hydrothermal springs in the world in the Caribbean, west of Cuba at about 2,300 meters depth , a large number of small shrimp ( Rimicaris hybisae ) appear piled on top of each other, creating authentic layers in the chimneys of rock that emanate hot water. This mysterious ecosystem could house the keys to the discovery of extraterrestrial life .
A team of researchers from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is studying this intriguing ecosystem in order to find clues about how life is possible on planets with an ocean below the surface, as is the case with Jupiter’s moon Europa. .
These small crustaceans feed thanks to the bacteria installed in their mouths that produce the organic matter that serves them for sustenance . These bacteria, capable of living in these underwater springs that reach temperatures of 400 degrees Celsius, would be equally capable of surviving in other extreme environments due to chemosynthesis , a process that allows these types of organisms to obtain energy from chemical reactions, without the need for sunlight.
“Throughout two-thirds of Earth’s history, life has existed only as microbial life. In Europe, the best chance of life would be microbial . The general objective of our research is to see the amount of life or biomass that can be sustained by the chemical energy of hot underwater springs ”, says Max Coleman, co-author of the study.
“Whether an animal like this can exist on the moon Europa depends largely on the actual amount of energy that is released there , through hydrothermal springs,” explains another of the JPL researchers, Emma Versteegh.
