Microbial life below the sea floor

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Suitable for 14-19-year olds (secondary and high schools, and college), this article and accompanying activity sheet can be used in the classroom, STEM/Biology/Ecology/Biochemistry clubs and at home.

This resource links to KS4 and KS5 Biology and Chemistry.

It can also be used as a careers resource and links to Gatsby Benchmarks:
Gatsby Benchmark 2: Learning from career and labour market information
Gatsby Benchmark 4: Linking curriculum learning to careers

This teaching resource explains the work of Dr Virginia Edgcomb, of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in the US, who spent three months on a ship in the middle of the Indian Ocean conducting research as part of a quest to find evidence of microbial life within the lower oceanic crust.

This resource also contains an interview with Dr Edgcomb.

The activity sheet provides ‘talking points’ to prompt students to reflect on Dr Edgcomb’s work and links to find out more about this fascinating expedition.

This resource was first published on Futurum Careers, a free online resource and magazine aimed at encouraging 14-19-year-olds worldwide to pursue careers in science, tech, engineering, maths, medicine (STEM) and social sciences, humanities and the arts for people and the economy (SHAPE).

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