Thermophiles

Thermophiles. . Can you see any animals swimming in the hot springs? No? Does that mean there is nothing living in there? There are actually many microscopic organisms that have been living in these waters for thousands of years. Since these species are able to survive the harsh conditions of these hot springs they are called thermophiles, rich means "heat loving.", Several species of ostracods, algae, and harmless bacteria have been found living in the hot springs. Ostracods, small relatives of shrimp and other crustaceans, are sometimes called seed shrimp. , Most ostracods look like a tiny kidney bean the size of a grain of sand with a dot for an eye and little legs sticking out of the bottom. They are able to open up both halves of their body-like a clam and pull all of their legs and antennae inside their shell - like a turtle does when it feels threatened. , Captions: , Helen Lacy (right), director of the microbiology department of NASAS Manned Spacecraft Center, is pictured here with her friend Sally Burtram in 1969. The two collected water samples from the hot springs at the same time the astronauts of the Apollo 11 mission were collecting rocks and dust from the moon. Lacy used the thermal water to make agar, a jelly like food for bacteria, to see if bacteria from the moon would grow on it. , The bacterium pictured here is just one example of microscopic life in the springs. Researchers are still searching for unknown organisms, but at least two species have been discovered and named - Fontimonas thermophila and Thermoanaerobaculum aquaticum. Can you pronounce those tongue twisters?