Most prominent among these in western North America are ice worms. Measuring about a half-inch in length and thin as threads of dental floss, ice worms (Mesenchytraeus solifugus) dot glaciers throughout the Pacific Northwest, British Columbia, and Alaska. Vast numbers of the tiny black worms emerge on summer afternoons and evenings to feed on algae, microbes, and other detritus on the surface. Then they burrow back into the ice at dawn—and during the winter, disappear into the frozen depths.
These distant relatives of earthworms survive in layers of ice-cold water within the snow and ice, thriving at water’s freezing point. This would be impossible for most creatures, especially cold-blooded ones without any insulation, like worms. So how do ice worms do it? Scientists have discovered some of the worms’ tricks, noting that understanding these biological oddballs is surprisingly relevant—and urgent.
Learning more about how these animals tolerate extremes can help us understand the limits of life on Earth and beyond, says Daniel Shain, a Rutgers University researcher who has studied the animals for 25 years.
But as glaciers are vanishing, so are ice worms. “We want to find out as much about the worms as we can before they disappear,” says Shirley Lang, a biologist at Haverford College in Pennsylvania. “And I have little doubt they will disappear one day,” if glaciers continue to melt at their current rate.
Credit : National Geographic
Picture Credit : Google
