Mission to explore mysterious ‘Blue Hole’ that sinks hundreds of feet below seabed off Florida coast begins
A MYSTERIOUS 'blue hole' at the bottom of the ocean is about to be explored by scientists.
The aim is to discover what life forms can live inside this dark chasm that plummets to a depth of 425 feet below the seabed.
The blue hole in question is called the 'Green Banana'.
It's located off the coast of Florida on the continental shelf.
The exploration of the Green Banana will be part of that's focussed on blue holes and their biodiversity.
The NOAA-sponsored project will involve sending divers and monitoring equipment deep inside the hole.
The researchers want to examine any microbes found in the hole as well as things like nutrient levels.
They also want to assess whether the sinkhole is connected to Florida's groundwater system.
The dive will take place in August and then another one is scheduled for next year.
A much smaller underwater sinkhole called the Amberjack Hole has already been explored by the team.
The said: "Blue holes are diverse biological communities full of marine life, including corals, sponges, mollusks, sea turtles, sharks, and more.
"The seawater chemistry in the holes is unique and appears to interact with groundwater and possibly aquifer layers.
"This link contributes to the knowledge of carbon cycling between surface and groundwater."
What is the carbon cycle?
Here's a simple explanation...
Carbon is an element that's a crucial part of life on Earth.
Every living organism has carbon inside of its cells including in our fats and proteins.
The carbon cycle is how atoms of carbon are recycled between organisms and the environment and can make up different compounds.
Respiration and combustion result in carbon entering the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.
This can then be absorbed by plants through photosynthesis.
Animals then feed on these plants and pass the carbon along the food chain.
When the animals die, the carbon is released back into the atmosphere by decomposers.
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In other news, a terrifying river of black sludge has been captured flooding through the rural US in shocking footage.
Experts think climate change could cause areas of the ocean to turn a "deep green" colour by 2100.
And, a huge dust cloud has travelled from Africa across the entire Atlantic Ocean.
What are your thoughts on this 'Blue Hole' mission? Let us know in the comments...
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