Tag Archives: vents

Animal life discovered in the crust beneath deep-sea hydrothermal vents by researchers

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Marine biologists have discovered adult tubeworms and other extrusive animals beneath the ocean floor of the East Pacific Ridge, a volcanically active and rapidly spreading ridge with numerous hydrothermal vents.

East Pacific Rise, subseafloor vents on the seafloor surface and crust on the outskirts of Fava Flow. Image credit: Bright others., doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-52631-9.

The East Pacific Rise is a volcanically active ridge located where two plates meet at the floor of the Pacific Ocean.

It contains many hydrothermal vents, which are openings in the ocean floor that form where ocean water and magma meet beneath the Earth's crust.

“It was once thought that the ocean-floor crust beneath hydrothermal vents was inhabited only by microorganisms and viruses,” says researcher Monika Breit of the University of Vienna and colleagues.

“But there are animals on the ocean floor that look like giant tube worms. Liftia Pachyputira Thrive. “

“The larvae are thought to disperse into the water column, even though they have never been observed there.”

“We hypothesized that these larvae migrate beneath the ocean floor via vent fluids.”

Dr. Bright and his co-authors sailing on the Schmidt Oceanographic Research Vessel Falcor (also)used the remotely operated vehicle SuB-astian to undertake a series of dives into a hydrothermal vent site located at a depth of 2,515 meters in the East Pacific Ridge.

The vehicle's arm was used to expose part of the ocean's crust, which revealed a warm, warm habitat that is home to a variety of species previously found only on the ocean floor, including giant tube worms and migratory animals such as earthworms and snails. A fluid-filled cavity was revealed.

Larvae from seafloor communities can colonize these subseafloor habitats, demonstrating the complex connectivity between seafloor and subseafloor ecosystems.

An animal habitat has been discovered beneath the ocean floor of the Earth's crust, but its extent is currently unknown, raising the urgency of its protection against potential future environmental changes.

“The presence of adult tubeworms suggests that the larvae dispersed through the recharge zone of the hydrothermal circulation system,” the authors said.

“Given that many of these animals are hosts to dense bacterial communities that oxidize reduced chemicals and fix carbon, subseafloor expansion of animal habitats may be localized. and regional geochemical flux measurements.”

“These findings highlight the need to protect vents, as the extent of these habitats has not yet been fully determined.”

team's work appear in the diary nature communications.

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M. Bright others. 2024. Animals that live in the crust beneath the shallow ocean floor of deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Nat Commune 15, 8466; doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-52631-9

Source: www.sci.news

Scientists uncover five previously unknown hydrothermal vents in the Pacific Ocean

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Scientists on board the research vessel atlantis Five new deep-sea hydrothermal vents have been discovered on the ocean floor at a depth of 2,550 meters (1.6 miles). All exhaust fluids are hotter than 300 degrees Celsius (570 degrees Fahrenheit).

vehicle carried by humans alvin Arrived at the ocean floor. Image credits: J. McDermott, Lehigh University / T. Barreyre, CNRS / R. Parnell-Turner, Scripps Institution of Oceanography / D. Fornari, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution / National Deep Diving Facility / Alvin Group.

Hydrothermal vents are rich in chemicals that provide energy for animal life, fueling rich and productive ecosystems.

The location of the new hydrothermal vent was discovered by a team of scientists during a research expedition funded by the National Science Foundation.

They are located on the East Pacific Ridge near 10 degrees north latitude and are part of the trans-Earth mid-ocean ridge volcanic mountains, where two tectonic plates are breaking apart at a rate of about 11 cm (4.3 inches) per year.

Expedition researchers used underwater robots to map the area at night guard.

rear guard Retrieved each morning, high-resolution maps from the vehicle’s sensors were used to plan the day’s dives by the manned vehicle. alvinThis gives scientists a first-hand look at the complex and ever-changing environments of places like the East Pacific Rise.

“High-resolution maps are guard There is a possibility that new hydrothermal areas will be discovered soon guard will be back on deck,” said Dr. Jill McDermott, a researcher at Lehigh University.

“This gives us great goals such as: alvin And the opportunity to make multiple discoveries in one dive.”

scientists infiltrate alvin He first discovered a hydrothermal vent in 1977 while exploring an oceanic ridge north of the Galapagos Islands.

The discovery has reshaped scientists’ understanding of the conditions that can support life on Earth and elsewhere in the solar system.

“Mid-ocean ridges account for more than 75% of all volcanic activity on Earth,” said CNRS researcher Dr. Thibault Valley.

“There are thousands of these deep-sea hot springs, which together extract 10 percent of the Earth’s total internal heat.”

“We want to better understand how hydrothermal vents release heat and chemicals as they flow beneath the ocean floor, impacting global oceans.”

“new guard “Using the map, we can see vital details of lava flows erupting in the deep ocean and target them for rock sample collection, just as geologists do on land.” said Dr. Daniel Fornari, a researcher at the institute.

“These new perspectives and analysis of rock samples will help us understand how fast the lava erupted, how far it traveled, and how deep-sea lava eruptions affect hydrothermal eruptions. I guess.”

“By working together these two state-of-the-art deep-sea submersibles, we will make surprising new discoveries about how the deep sea floor is constructed in some of the harshest environments on Earth. Yes, we can,” said Dr. Ross Parnell Turner., a researcher at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Source: www.sci.news

Researchers map the genetic code of sea cucumbers residing in hydrothermal vents

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Chinese researchers have mapped the entire genome. chiridotaheheva a type of sea cucumber collected at a depth of 2,428 m during a submarine trip to a hydrothermal vent.

Chirodotaheheba In the Gulf of Mexico. Image credit: Aquapix and Expedition to the Deep Slope 2007.

The sea cucumber is echinoderm and as such are related to sea urchins and starfish, a group of animals with a very unusual body design.

They are found on the ocean floor around the world, where they devour detritus and use their tentacles to explore sediments.

Although other high-quality sea cucumber genomes are available, this study provides the first genome of a sea cucumber specimen. chiridotaheheva — collected at a hydrothermal vent.

beginning explained In 2004, chiridotaheheva It is known from the deep waters of the Western Atlantic Ocean, but has an international distribution.

It is one of the few echinoderms. occupy All three types of chemosynthetic ecosystems are included: hydrothermal vents, cold seeps, and organic fallouts. This suggests that this species is well adapted to the reducing environment of the deep sea.

Unlike most species that live in cold or hydrothermal vents; chiridotaheheva It does not host chemosynthetic bacteria.

It obtains nutrients from a variety of sources and extracts organic components from sediment debris, suspended solids, and wood debris when available.

“The organisms found in hydrothermal vents are among the most unique life forms on Earth, having evolved special adaptations to survive and reproduce in these harsh conditions,” said the lead author. Dr. Eugene Pu by Sanya Institute of Deep Sea Science and Technology and colleagues.

“For example, many microorganisms employ special metabolic functions to cope with the abundance of sulfur and iron and to withstand the enormous heat near the vent.”

“In addition to microorganisms, there are also multicellular and higher-order organisms that have adapted to the conditions of hydrothermal vents, such as various types of nematodes, snails, crabs, and shrimp.”

In the study, the authors sequenced the genome of an individual. chiridotaheheva collected from the ocean floor of the Indian Ocean Kairei Bent Field (2,428 meters deep).

“The water around the Kailey vent is particularly rich in dissolved iron, compounded by the harsh conditions of high hydrostatic pressure, darkness, and temperature fluctuations,” the researchers said.

“Initial comparative genomic analyzes showed that several gene families are expanded in this sea cucumber, meaning that this species has a higher repertoire of certain gene sets than closely related species. To do.”

“These expanded and unique genes are involved in DNA repair and iron metabolism, among other processes. It shows for the first time that it is reflected.”

“The genomic data will provide a valuable resource for further research on both sea cucumbers and unique spout animals.”

of result appear in the diary Giga Science.

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Y Pooh other. 2023. High-quality chromosome genome assembly of sea cucumber chiridotaheheva and its hydrothermal adaptation. Giga Science, in press. doi: 10.1093/gigascience/giad107

Source: www.sci.news