Life thrives in toxic environments.
During a deep sea expedition in Mexico's Gulf of California in the fall of 2021, scientists observed amazing volcanic activity. The trip, aboard the research vessel Falkor, used a sturdy underwater robot to find intriguing life and potentially new-to-science creatures at these dark depths.
The hot vents in this region are unique. The first deep sea vents were discovered in 1977. They're called "black smokers" because of that. The water in this Mexican realm is vastly different. It's clear because of the different minerals that come from inside Earth.
Sometimes the hot fluid comes out and flows upward like a reverse waterfall, which builds majestic spires and mounds above the vents.
David Caress, a chief scientist on the expedition and a marine researcher at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, said in a phone call that the forms that exist there are really special.
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There are spires in the Gulf of California. The Ocean Institute has a credit.
Water flows upward from a vent. The Ocean Institute has a credit.
The boiling geologic activity at these depths is due to a boundary between two of Earth's great tectonic plates. In this dynamic region, aFracture in Earth's crust results in ocean water percolating down through the seafloor where it's then superheated by our planet's hot molten rock. Caress thinks the plates are moving away from each other, which could create new land and underwater mountains.
There is life around these vents. Chemosynthetic life, which is found in the dark depths, is different from life at the surface in that it has chemicals in it. Caress noted that every one of the vent features a community of animals.
Blue scale worms dominated the scene. Scientists observed a lot of tubeworms at other vents. The vents have mats of uniquebacteria. Six new animals may have been found by the expedition.
There is a colony of microbes in the deep sea. The Ocean Institute has a credit.
A blue scale worm is on a mat of pinkishbacteria at over 2 miles beneath the ocean surface. The Ocean Institute has a credit.
Understanding this unique life and protecting it from human exploits and potential damage is important, but sleuthing out new microbes is even more important. According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, marine organisms produce more antibiotics, anti-cancer, and anti-Inflammatory substances than any other group of organisms.
The deep sea is mostly unexplored. There are better maps of the moon and Mars. It's a great place, especially around the hot vents.
Brittany Washington, a science communications intern at the Schmidt Ocean Institute, wrote about a hot spring party in the deep sea.
