Antarctic Lake Hides Bizarre Ecosystem

 

See the literal microbial landscape...

Bacteria slowly built the mounds, known as stromatolites, layer by layer on the lake bottom. The lumps, which look like oversize traffic cones, resemble similar structures that first appeared billions of years ago and remain in fossil form as one of the oldest widespread records of ancient life. The Antarctic discovery could thus help scientists better understand the conditions under which primitive life-forms thrived.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/04/antarctica-lake-untersee/