MICROORGANISMS in the seafloor may soon be producing an unlimited supply of
electricity to power equipment such as sensors and sonar beacons. It comes from
a fuel cell developed with funding from the US Department of Defense, which taps
into a natural voltage gradient at the bottom of the ocean.
Bugs living in seawater, or on the top layer of seafloor sediments, use
oxygen to break down organic matter, releasing energy as they go. Those that
live further down where there is no oxygen, have to rely on other chemicals,
such as nitrates and sulphates.
These different reactions create an…
