Hydrothermal Vents http://www.divediscover.whoi.edu/vents/ventbio-infomod.html

History In 1977, scientists made a stunning discovery on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean that forever changed our understanding of planet Earth and life on it. They found seafloor vents gushing shimmering, warm, mineral-rich fluids into the cold, dark depths. And, to their complete surprise, they found that the vents were brimming with extraordinary, unexpected life.

Hydrothermal Vent Basics Hydrothermal vents are one of the most spectacular features on the seafloor. Hydrothermal vent = a deep-sea hot spring where heated seawater forces its way up through the crust. They form in places where there is volcanic activity, such as along the Mid-Ocean Ridge.

Hydrothermal Vent Basics Video Water seeps through cracks in the seafloor and is heated by molten rock deep below the ocean crust to as high as 400°C (752F). The hot fluid rises to the surface and gushes out of the vent openings. This hydrothermal fluid carries with it dissolved metals and other chemicals.

ZOARCID FISH

Hydrothermal Vent Energy Source Sunlight does not reach the hydrothermal vent communities at the bottom of the ocean. Instead, the microbes get their energy from different chemicals in hydrothermal fluid. For example, some get their energy by breaking down hydrogen sulfide. This process is called chemosynthesis. Video

Copper, iron, zinc, Silver can be mined here! 1977 Chemosynthetic Bacteria are producers, use hydrogen sulfide to make energy! Tubeworms &bacteria - symbiotic relationship

Some bacteria live inside tubeworms, clams, and mussels, forming symbiotic relationships with these animals.

Black Smoker The “black smoke” pouring out of the chimneys is not, in fact, smoke. Rather, it is the hydrothermal fluid that is so hot, it can melt metal. When the fluid mixes with sea water, these metals combine with sulfur to form tiny black particles, which make the fluid look like smoke.

Hydrothermal Vent Chemistry Video

Vents Around The World Hydrothermal vents are found only in areas where there is volcanic activity and the magma is close enough to the surface to heat the fluids. Most of the vents scientists have discovered are along the Mid-Ocean Ridge. Vents are also found along some subduction zones.

Vents can occur at any depth. Some are as deep as 3,600 meters Vents can occur at any depth. Some are as deep as 3,600 meters. Others off the coast of New Zealand are only 30 meters deep. Vents are also found on land. Two of the most famous examples are the hot springs and geysers in Yellowstone National Park in the United States and on the North Island of New Zealand.

Live Yellowstone Geyser

Hydrothermal Vent Biology

Hydrothermal Vent Life Octopi: There are several species of octopi that only live around hydrothermal vents. Some species have been seen a few times. They are typically one meter long and their heads are about the size of an orange. Octopi are top (apex) predators They live among or even under clumps of mussels. They eat crabs, clams, and mussels.

Tubeworms: live around hydrothermal vents along the Mid-Ocean Ridge in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. They can grow up to two meters long and ten centimeters in diameter. Tubeworms never leave their tubes, which are made of a hard material called chitin. The tubes help protect the worms from the toxic vent chemicals and from predators such as crabs and fish.

Tubeworms do not eat. They have neither a mouth nor a stomach Tubeworms do not eat. They have neither a mouth nor a stomach. Instead, billions of symbiotic bacteria (or Archaea) living inside the tubeworms produce sugars from CO2 , hydrogen sulfide, and oxygen. The tubeworms use some of these sugars as food.

Zoarcid Fish: These two-foot long white fish are top predators around vents. They eat everything from tubeworms to shrimp. Despite their huge appetites, these fish are slow and lethargic.

Mussels: often the first shellfish to colonize hydrothermal vent sites. They clump together in cracks in the seafloor. Symbiotic microbes live in mussels’ gills. Like the microbes living inside tubeworms, these microbes use energy from chemicals in the vent fluids to produce sugars. The mussels use sugars produced by the symbiotic bacteria for food.

Mussels can also filter food from the water, so if hydrothermal fluid stops flowing, mussels can survive for a short period of time. Video

Microbes: Hydrothermal vent microbes include bacteria and Archaea, the most ancient forms of life. These microbes form the base of the food chain. They are chemo-autotrophic, meaning they harvest energy from a variety of different chemicals gushing out of the vents. They use the energy to manufacture sugars from carbon dioxide.