Ship Aims to Sample Deepest-Ever Life

Ship Aims to Sample Deepest-Ever Life

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A Japanese deep sea drilling vessel, Chikyu, recently set a new world record, by drilling down over 2,111 meters below the seafloor to collect rock samples. The ship is off Shimokita Peninsula of Japan in the northwest Pacific Ocean, as part of the Deep Coalbed Biosphere expedition, which aims to collect high-quality samples from the deeply buried coal formation.

The team hopes to gain new insights into the life associated with a hydrocarbon system deep beneath the ocean.