40 Years of Hydrothermal Vent Exploration

Hydrothermal vents, driven by volcanism along tectonic plate boundaries, are short-lived openings in the seafloor that spew super-heated, chemical-rich fluids into the ocean. Often composed of dramatic chimney spires, hydrothermal vents are important habitat in the deep ocean, supporting chemosynthetic communities that can include shrimp, tubeworms, crabs, fish, and more. https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/news/exploration-extras/24-national-ocean-month/welcome.html#chemosynthetic | NOAA Ocean Explo

Deep-sea hydrothermal vent field features mineral spires, marine life, and extreme aquatic environment exploration.

Hydrothermal vents: survival at the ocean's hot springs | Natural History Museum

Hydrothermal Vent Creatures

One of the few animals with backbones around hydrothermal vent sites, zoarcid fish (Thermarces cerberus) make their homes among dense patches of tubeworms, sometimes tunneling into empty tubes to hide. The voracious zoarcid eats vent crabs, amphipods, and limpets–which allows tubeworm larvae to settle and grow. Growing up to two feet (0.6 m), these fish are also known as eelpouts or (erroneously) pink vent fish. Dive deeper into the amazing world of hydrothermal vents! divediscover.whoi.edu/hydr

Hydrothermal Features - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service)