Gallery: How to Discover Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents
01deep-sea-hydrothermal-vent-tubeworms
Tube worms cluster around a newly discovered hydrothermal vent.
02sonar-ocean-bottom-map
Perspective view of the newly discovered hydrothermal vent field in the Gulf of California, created using sonar data collected by MBARI’s seafloor mapping AUV (autonomous underwater vehicle), the “D. Allen B.” Blues and greens indicate deeper water. The yellow line encircles one of the newly discovered hydrothermal vent chimneys.
03black-smoker-chimney-2
This deep-sea hydrothermal vent was one of many recently discovered in the Gulf of California by a team of scientists from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI). The water from some of these vents is at least 300 degrees Celsius (570 degrees Fahrenheit). The “black smoke” emanating from this chimney is mineral grains that form upon mixing of hydrothermal fluids and the near-freezing seawater.
04black-smoker-chimney
Several photos stitched together show one of the largest hydrothermal vent chimneys that Clague’s team discovered. Chimneys like this one, which is over 20 meters tall, grow when minerals precipitate around the vent opening.
05hydrothermal-vent-tubeworms-and-fish
These large tubeworms can grow to over 1 meter (three feet) long, and contain bacteria that help them live off of chemicals flowing out of the hydrothermal vents. Small fish, crabs, and limpets (dark spots) live among the tubeworm colonies, creating an impressive deep-sea ecosystem.
06deep-sea-crabs
This cluster of galatheid crabs was photographed crawling over the husks of dead tubeworms at a formerly active hydrothermal vent. These crabs are related to the famous “Yeti crab,” which was found in a deep-sea hydrothermal area in the Southern Pacific. Deep-sea hydrothermal vents typically remain active for a few years before dying out. When this happens, the tubeworms and most of the vent animals die out or leave the area.
