In his "US Ocean Action Plan" issued last year, President Bush promised to make oceans "cleaner, healthier, and more productive." Does his new budget deliver on that promise? We'll talk about funding for ocean research, from deep-sea submersibles to surface ships and water sampling.

Then we'll hear about several new discoveries in the ocean's depths, including new work on an unusual formation of hydrothermal vents that scientists have dubbed the 'Lost City.' The hydrothermal vent field, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, was first discovered in the year 2000.

The calcium carbonate towers in the vent field are white, unlike the dark structures associated with 'black smoker' vents spewing sulfides. New research published this week in the journal Science has found that life around the Lost City is just as abundant as around the black smokers. We'll talk about what researchers found in a month-long expedition to study the geology, chemistry, and biology of the Lost City.

We'll also find out about how some bacteria can live in deep sea environments where pressures are high enough to crush normal organisms into pulp. Researchers have sequenced the genetic code of one bacteria capable of life under pressure, and also published their findings this week in Science. We'll find out more.

Call in with your questions and comments at 1-800-989-8255 (2-3 Eastern). Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.