It is possible that there is a significant subsurface biosphere at the Edmond Vent site. This possibility will be investigated, and if such a biosphere is found, its ecosystem will be examined.

This will be integral in understanding the ecosystem and fully comprehending how the organisms coexist at the site. Discovering a subsurface biosphere at the Edmond Vent site would be absolutely thrilling. If life can exist under the surface in such an extreme environment as the Edmond Vent site, it can surely exist under the surface at other sites on our earth. It could also imply the existence of life under the surface of planets with similar chemical makeup as ours such as Mars.

Geologists onboard Atlantis II are going to use Drillette for core sampling in different areas of the vent site. The biologists will share the samples that that are collected to carry out their own tests on them. These tests will include viewing the samples under a microscope (electron as well as compound) and sifting the samples through microscopic sieves and then examining the contents, as well as analyzing the chemical composition of the samples.

Margesin R., Schinner F. Biodegradation and bioremediation of hydrocarbons in extreme environments. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 56 (5-6), 650-663.