MAINTENANCE OF ABYSSAL BENTHIC FORAMINIFERA UNDER HIGH-PRESSURE AND LOW-TEMPERATURE - SOME PRELIMINARY-RESULTS

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.