Researchers at NASA have discovered rich plant life of
microscopic size deep inside the Arctic Ocean. The discovery was
also confirmed by ICESCAPE (Impacts of Climate on EcoSystems and
Chemistry of the Arctic Pacific Environment). “Part of NASA’s
mission is pioneering scientific discovery, and this is like
finding the Amazon rainforest in the middle of the Mojave
Desert. We embarked on ICESCAPE to validate our satellite ocean-
observing data in an area of the Earth that is very difficult to
get to. We wound up making a discovery that hopefully will help
researchers and resource managers better understand the Arctic,”
NASA ocean biology and biogeochemistry program manager Paula
Bontempi said, as reported on webpronews.com. The ICESCAPE team
drilled into the ice layer and discovered phytoplankton, which
contains chlorophyll and is a source of oxygen along with being
a food source for the marine animals. These plants were found in
a larger area and even in those parts where they were not
growing previously. “At t