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Researchers have discovered a completely new ecosystem under the Earth's seabed
Miscellaneous / / August 10, 2023
For the first time in 46 years, scientists looked under the "chimneys" at a depth of 2500 meters and realized how unexplored the ocean is.
Aquanauts from the Schmidt Ocean Institute explored slabs of volcanic crust with hydrothermal vents at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean and discovered there is an underground ecosystem in which life is in full swing.
The researchers noted that this is literally a whole new world at a depth of about 2,500 meters, the existence of which no one knew.
On land, we have long known about animals living in underground cavities, and in the ocean about animals living in sand and silt, but for the first time, scientists have been looking for life under hydrothermal vents.
This truly remarkable discovery of a new ecosystem hidden under another ecosystem provides new evidence that life exists in incredible places.
Jyothika Virmani
director of the Schmidt Ocean Institute
Remarkably, these hydrothermal vents, spewing hot, mineral-rich liquids, were only discovered by scientists in the 1970s. And despite the darkness of these depths, life was also seething around the chimney-like openings. But over the past 46 years, it never occurred to anyone to look under the sources.
Scraping the bark from the seabed with a deep-sea robot reveals a colorful ecosystem of worms, snails and chemosynthetic bacteria, which do not rely on sunlight for energy, but on minerals.
Especially interesting scientists found tube worms. These deep sea creatures can travel under the seafloor through volcanic fluids to colonize new habitats. This may explain why so few of their pups have been seen around deep volcanic fissures - most of them can mature below the surface.
The discovery of new creatures, landscapes, and now an entirely new ecosystem highlights how much we yet to learn about our ocean and how important it is to protect what we do not yet know or do not understand."
Jyothika Virmani
director of the Schmidt Ocean Institute
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