New Life at the Bottom of the Ocean

Photo By: NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program

Scientists exploring one of the most inhospitable areas on Earth — thermal vents so deep underwater that sunlight never penetrates — have made new discoveries about the evolution of life.

So-called chemosynthetic tubeworms, like the one pictured, and shrimp, survive in ways that few other living things do. Most living things derive their energy from the sun: Plants use photosynthesis (with downstream benefits for plant-eating and meat-eating creatures). These creatures instead derive their energy from chemicals rising from thermal vents on the ocean floor (hence: chemosynthetic).

Previously, scientists have seen chemosynthetic shrimp at Atlantic Ocean vents, and chemosynthetic tubeworms at Pacific vents. During an August exploration of Caribbean vents, tubeworms were seen in the Atlantic for the first time, and the two categories of critters were seen together for the first time. Scientists suspect this observation could hold a key to the evolution of the vent-dwelling beings, since the Atlantic and Pacific became separated about 5 million years ago.

> Related: 33 Utterly Strange Sea Animals
> Related: 18 of the Most Bizarre New Animals

COMMENTS ()