5 Fun Facts about Deep Sea Microorganisms
Did you know that microorganisms deep beneath Earth’s surface can absorb the greenhouse gases carbon and methane, keeping them out of the atmosphere for thousands—or even millions—of years?
Wrigley Chair in Environmental Studies and USC Dornsife Department of Earth Sciences Professor Karen Lloyd is studying these methane-eating microbes in California’s San Pedro Channel to find out whether they can consume methane fast enough to keep pace with the amount being released into the atmosphere. This researach is supported in part by the Wrigley Institute’s Ballmer Group-funded Climate and Carbon Management Initiative.
Video produced by Caitlin Roehmholdt, 2025 Wrigley Instiute Environmental Communications Intern