Hydrothermal Vents

&Chemoautotrophs

Dark Secrets

Model of a community of hydrothermal

vents and smokers at the bottom of the

sea

Hydrothermal vents are volcanoes

located at the bottom of the

ocean.

Many look like chimneys.

Some are very tall – thousands

of feet high.

Location of Deep-Sea Vents off coast of Galapagos Islands

Although they are thousands

of feet below the surface where

no light has ever penetrated,

these vents, or “hot spots” are

teaming with life – that does not require sunlight

for photosynthesis

Riftia pachyptila, the giant tubeworm, is found at all known vent sites along the East Pacific Rise and the Galapagos Rift

The fact that these tubeworms are very common and are early colonizers may explain their high levels of genetic diversity.

These worms are entirely dependent on sulfur-oxidizing, symbiotic bacteria that supply

them with energy. Tubeworms are thought to be early colonizers of

vent sites

B. thermophilus mussels are found at vent sites along the

Galapagos Rift. They depend almost

entirely on symbiotic bacteria within their

gills to supply energy.

The rates of extinction and recolonization that deep-sea mussels and clams experience tend to reduce their genetic diversity.

Yeti crabs have been found living at depths of about 2,200 meters (7,200 feet or 1 ½ miles) on recent lava flows and areas where warm water was seeping out of the sea floor.

Biodiversity at the vent sites is still amazing marine ecologists and biologists.

New species are still being discovered

These animals all feed on the sulfur-oxidizing, symbiotic bacteria, or each other – creating a Chemotropic ecosystem.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2210928400049448702&ei=3_y5SI7WAoqUrgKqtrTxDA&q=hydrothermal+vents&vt=lf&hl=en