Pompeii worm
The Pompeii worm (Alvinella pompejana) makes its home on deep-sea hydrothermal vents, where superheated water belches from the Earth’s crust.
hydrothermal vents
Hundreds of hydrothermal chimneys discovered on the seafloor off the Pacific Northwest
April 28, 2020 – MBARI’s underwater mapping efforts off the Pacific Northwest have revealed almost 600 hydrothermal chimneys rising from the deep seafloor.
MBARI researchers help map and scout for hydrothermal vents in Gulf of California
Nov 1, 2018 – Building on their 2015 expedition, MBARI researchers will be mapping the Pescadero Basin and searching for hydrothermal vents.
New study challenges prevailing theory about how deep-sea vents are colonized
Jul 24, 2017 – Despite their close proximity, two recently discovered hydrothermal vent fields in the Gulf of California host very different animal communities. This finding contradicts a common scientific assumption that neighboring vents will share similar animal communities.
MBARI researchers discover deepest known high-temperature hydrothermal vents in Pacific Ocean
Jun 2, 2015 – In spring 2015, MBARI researchers discovered a large, previously unknown field of hydrothermal vents in the Gulf of California, about 150 kilometers (100 miles) east of La Paz, Mexico.
Deep-sea vent animals not as isolated as they seem
Mar 29, 2013 – Miles below the ocean surface, diverse ecosystems flourish at hydrothermal vents. Without sunlight, animals live off of bacteria that thrive on chemicals billowing out of the Earth’s crust. These strange communities appear entirely detached from life on land.
MBARI discovers new deep-sea hydrothermal vents using sonar-mapping robot
May 11, 2012 – “As the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) descended into the blue depths above the Alarcón Rise, the control room was abuzz with anticipation,” wrote MBARI geologist Julie Martin in her April 22nd cruise log. “Today we [are] planning to dive on one of the strangest environments in the deep sea: a hydrothermal vent field.”
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About MBARI
Research programs at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) encompass the entire ocean, from the surface waters to the deep seafloor, and from the coastal zone to the open sea. The need to understand the ocean in all its complexity and variability drives MBARI's research and development efforts.