In the deep sea, subsurface microbes are plentiful and hungry By Researcher Elizabeth Trembath-Reichert is pictured operating the winch for the CTD water sampler, which was used to pump fluids back up to the research vessel from the Atlantic seafloor. Photo by Ben Tully April 28 (UPI) -- Boreholes drilled deep into the floor of the Atlantic are offering scientists new insights into the microbial communities found thousands of feet beneath the surface of the ocean. Scientists knew there were microbes living beneath the ocean floor, but until now, little was known about their energy requirements. Advertisement For the study -- the results of which were published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances -- scientists sent a smorgasbord of snacking options down boreholes drilled into North Pond, a section of the western flank of the mid-Atlantic Ridge.