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.
Quiz
Which toxic chemical do hydrothermal vent bacteria convert into usable 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?