Researchers have mapped the genome of a microbe that thrives in oxygen-deprived areas of the ocean known as “dead zones.” These creatures are increasing, and their ability to live without oxygen might make them perfect space-dwellers.The article, published today in Science, looks at a microbe known as SUPO5, which lives in areas of the ocean which have low amounts of oxygen. These “dead zones” are created by climate change and nitrogen runoff. The microbes were found off the coast of British Columbia, in the Saanich Inlet, and use nitrates instead of oxygen as a source of energy. They remove sulfides from the water, fix carbon dioxide, and in turn produce nitrous oxide, a very potent greenhouse gas.
More of the story from io9.