Life in the Deep
Hydrothermal vents are oases of life in the deep ocean!
Almost 95% of all marine animals and micro-organisms recovered from the vent sites are new species of:
- shrimps
- mussels
- crabs
- tube worms
- eel-like fish
- anemones
- starfish
- long-necked barnacles
- microorganisms
Many animals are unique to particular vent sites and are not seen even a few hundred metres away.
But it is not just large animals that frequent the vents.
Micro-organisms use the gas-and metal-laden fluids, deriving energy by way of chemical reactions. Large numbers of micro organisms grow around the vents, typically as bacterial mats. Micro organisms are the beginnings of the food web on which many larger animals feed.
Micro organisms may also help scientists to learn more about the origins of life on Earth.