By: Qinwei Wu

Hydrothermal vents were first discovered off the Galápagos Island, and often grew atop or even close to midoceanic ridges-large volcanic fissures in the seafloor due to the separation of tectonic plates.

When this happens, the magmatic heat roasts the sea water, causing jets of superheated and mineral-rich water to come out of the vents. Scientists were aware these hydrothermal vents are home to a diverse amount of animals, but scientists never knew any of the animals that inhabited the area under these vents.

It’s shocking to realize animals living beneath hydrothermal vents are settled into vaults of volcanic rock in darkness. “The deeper you go, the warmer it goes, the less oxygen there is, the more toxic chemicals are in it”, an ecologist at the University of Vienna and lead scientist on the expedition, Monica Bright, said.

It was not until July when a diving robot off the western shores of Central and South America revealed an extraordinary amount of animals living under hydrothermal vents such as tubeworms, which resembles thick strands of spaghetti.

Other scientists weren’t at all surprised by the discovery. Julia Huber is a marine geochemist and microbiologist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts who wasn’t involved with the work. She said,“I think it makes perfect sense. The shallow subseafloor, where temperatures are likely cool enough for animals to survive, is what I think of as a ‘subseafloor conveyor belt’ for microbes, nutrients and, now, animals.”

To deepen their understandings of animals living below hydrothermal vents, Dr. Bright and her team set loose SuBastian, a remotely operated vehicle that flipped open volcanic rocks.

The vehicle revealed hollows labrytinths of glassy rock cavities and arches, along with pillars made from once-molten lava, now frozen. Through these tunnels, water flowed up to 75 degrees Fahrenheight.

Dr. Bright still finds the sea surprising, after all her years of working with the ocean. “I feel like I know this place. I’ve studied this place for 30 years. And still, you can find something unexpected”, she said.