news of the flathead lake creature and a new creature discovered deep in the ocean

Among Other Things: 'Monsters' and more!

Paul Fugleberg  

Hadn’t heard much about the Flathead Lake monster sightings for a few years until the past couple weeks. Then, just days apart, two instances popped up albeit the sightings were years ago.
First, Valerie Lindstrom wondered if I’d like to talk with her mother, Mrs. Charline Sciphers, who lived in Polson from 1927 to 1941. Mrs. Sciphers’ father, Charles Henry Mullen, planted an 80-acre cherry orchard for Dr. Richards, about 12 miles up the east shore in the mid-1930s. As he looked down into the clear lake water from a cliff at the edge of the orchard, he saw what he believed was a large sturgeon. A trail crew from the small state fish hatchery nearby also spotted some large fish – at least one of which was “as large as the rowboat” in which they were riding. They also felt the fish were sturgeon.
Read rest here:http://leaderadvertiser.com/opinion/article_1ff4e87a-fa9c-11e0-b463-001cc4c03286.html

Researchers Identify Mysterious Life Forms In The Extreme Deep Sea; 'Fascinating Giants'

by Underwatertimes.com News Service - October 21,

SAN DIEGO, California -- A summer research expedition organized by scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego has led to the identification of gigantic amoebas at one of the deepest locations on Earth.During a July 2011 voyage to the Pacific Ocean's Mariana Trench, the deepest region on the planet, Scripps researchers and National Geographic engineers deployed untethered free-falling/ascending landers equipped with digital video and lights to search the largely unexplored region. The team documented the deepest known existence of xenophyophores, single-celled animals exclusively found in deep-sea environments. Xenophyophores are noteworthy for their size, with individual cells often exceeding 10 centimeters (4 inches), their extreme abundance on the seafloor and their role as hosts for a variety of organisms.
The researchers spotted the life forms at depths up to 10,641 meters (6.6 miles) within the Sirena Deep of the Mariana Trench. The previous depth record for xenophyophores was approximately 7,500 meters (4.7 miles) in the New Hebrides Trench, although sightings in the deepest portion of the Mariana Trench have been reported. Scientists say xenophyophores are the largest individual cells in existence. Recent studies indicate that by trapping particles from the water, xenophyophores can concentrate high levels of lead, uranium and mercury and are thus likely highly resistant to large doses of heavy metals. They also are well suited to a life of darkness, low temperature and high pressure in the deep sea.
Read more here:http://www.underwatertimes.com/news.php?article_id=21053716894