Animal Life Discovered Beneath Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents

Researchers uncover thriving ecosystems in subseafloor cavities, challenging previous assumptions about deep-sea biodiversity.

Marine biologists found adult tubeworms and other animals living in subseafloor crust beneath hydrothermal vents on the East Pacific Rise.
The discovery reveals complex connectivity between seafloor and subseafloor ecosystems, with larvae potentially dispersing through vent fluids.
Conditions within the subseafloor cavities are similar to those on the seafloor, suggesting extensive hidden habitats.
These findings may have implications for understanding life in extreme environments and could inform the search for extraterrestrial life.
The research underscores the need to protect these unique ecosystems from threats such as deep-sea mining.