"Biologists now agree that archea,or archeobacteria, are one of the three major branches of life, in addition to bacteria and eukaryotes(the latter embracing plants, animals, and humans). Archea seem to like environments that are very hot, or very salty, or strictly lacking in oxygen--places where no other life can endure."
Recent studies, however, reveal a surprise: archea comprise more than 30 percent of biomass in waters off Palmer Station, Antarctica--the highestrates measured in the ocean. A team led by Edward DeLong of the University of California-Santa Barbara will sample archea in the region this season, illuminating the ecology and biology of these mysterious organisms."