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Nevilledog

(50,659 posts)
Sat Jul 25, 2020, 05:34 PM Jul 2020

Mysterious deep "blue hole" off Florida's coast sparks search for signs of life

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/blue-hole-florida-coast-search-signs-of-life/

Off the coast of Florida, deep at the bottom of the ocean, are massive blue holes that formed thousands of years ago. What the unexplored holes contain has remained largely a mystery — but now, scientists want to change that.

Researchers are flocking to a 425-foot-deep "blue hole" off Florida's Gulf Coast next month in search of signs of life, among other things. The hole has been dubbed Green Banana.

Green Banana is located about 155 feet below the water's surface, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It was first discovered not by researchers or scientists, but by fishermen and recreational divers, and is similar to sinkholes found on land.

NOAA said that there are many underwater sinkholes, springs and caverns scattered across Florida's Gulf continental shelf — but they have no idea how many exist or where to find them. While they vary in size, shape and depth, most are believed to host a large abundance of diverse plants and animals.

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