Cm. Turley et al., MAINTENANCE OF ABYSSAL BENTHIC FORAMINIFERA UNDER HIGH-PRESSURE AND LOW-TEMPERATURE - SOME PRELIMINARY-RESULTS, Deep-sea research. Part 1. Oceanographic research papers, 40(4), 1993, pp. 643-652
Abyssal benthic foraminifera have been maintained alive for periods of
several weeks under laboratory simulated deep-sea conditions of high
pressure and low temperature. In separate experiments, bacterial-sized
fluorescent microspheres and three species of microalgae were supplie
d as food particles. Subsequent light and electron microscopy showed t
hat the algae had been ingested by several foraminiferal species. Furt
hermore, the fine structure of the foraminiferal cytoplasm was well-pr
eserved which indicates, along with the ingestion of algal food, that
they had remained in a viable condition during the incubation. Other o
bservations indicate that abyssal benthic foraminifera ingest naturall
y occurring photosynthetic cells carried to the deep-sea bed by rapidl
y sedimenting aggregates. The ability to keep foraminifera originating
from depths exceeding 4000 m alive in the laboratory paves the way fo
r the experimental investigation of some important issues in deep-sea
biology and palaeoceanography.