On the coast Newfoundland from Canada, scientists have discovered a species of germs, which live at 1.6km under the sea bed, which is at its turn under 4.5 km of water.

These germs are unicelular organisms, surviving in an ecosystem where there is no light. The scientists which have discovered them are still not sure how the germs managed to survive at this depth, but one hypothesis is that they feed on oil.

“These are the strongest organisms known to science, and species like this might represent 2/3 of the living material on this planet” researchers said. The depth where they were found pointed out that they can survive in extreme presusre conditions, at temperatures of over 100 degrees Celsius.

How the germs manage to survive is still a mystery. One theory is that they remained in the rock ever since it formed on the surface over 111 million years ago. Another assumption is that they managed to migrated through the underground water currents.

This discovery has encouraged scientists to believe that they might find life on other planets. The fact that these organisms manage to survive underground, without any light or oxygen, might mean that there is life on other planets as well.