Image

Life Lessons

Hydrothermal vents, fissures where minerals dissolved in hot seawater pour out of the seafloor, were discovered in 1977 aboard the submersible Alvin. The amazing variety of organisms that call the vents home survive thanks to chemosynthetic bacteria, which fix carbon using energy from hydrogen sulfide or methane. The discovery of organisms like mussels and tubeworms thriving away from sunlight represented an important step in understanding life on our planet, and raised questions about the origin of life on Earth. The values of vent ecosystems—including their role in the global carbon cycle—will hopefully be revealed through further exploration.(Photo courtesy of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Archives)