Chapter 1
Life in the shadows
Chapter 2
Toxic oases and hot springs
Chapter 3
Under crushing pressure
Chapter 4
The technology of discovery
Ch 2 · Toxic oases and hot springs
artiteacher Hydrothermal vents spewing water heated to 400 degrees Celsius fuel a bizarre food web powered by chemical energy.
artiteacher Scientists discovered this strange crustacean near Pacific hydrothermal vents in 2005.
Fun Fact
Boiling water: Hydrothermal vents can spew water at 400°C, but the immense pressure keeps it from boiling.
Quiz
Off the coast of which country did scientists discover a rare deep-sea octopus nursery in 2023?
Quiz
Why do deep-sea octopuses choose to brood their eggs near low-temperature hydrothermal vents?
Glossary
hydrothermal vent (noun)
An opening on the seafloor out of which geothermally heated, mineral-rich water flows. Researchers first discovered these deep-sea geysers near the Galápagos Islands in 1977.
An opening on the seafloor out of which geothermally heated, mineral-rich water flows. Researchers first discovered these deep-sea geysers near the Galápagos Islands in 1977.
Quiz
What is the name of the specialized organ where giant tube worms host their energy-producing bacteria?