On October 16, a recent study published in the journal *Nature Communications* under Springer Nature revealed an exciting discovery: researchers have found animal life beneath the seafloor at a hydrothermal vent in the East Pacific Rise. This finding offers new insights into the complex habitats found in the deep sea.
The study highlighted the discovery of giant tube worms living at a depth of 2,500 meters on the seafloor. The East Pacific Rise is known as a volcanically active ridge located at the intersection of two tectonic plates on the ocean floor, dotted with numerous hydrothermal vents. These vents form where seawater meets magma beneath the crust. While previous research focused on the marine life that flourished around these vents, including tube worms and mussels, the possibility of life existing beneath the shallow seafloor had yet to be explored.
The research team, led by co-authors Monika Bright from the University of Vienna and Sabine Gollner from the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, embarked on this study aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s vessel, the *Falkor II*. They utilized remotely operated vehicles to make multiple dives to a hydrothermal vent located 2,515 meters deep in the East Pacific Rise. Upon exposing the seafloor crust, they discovered a warm, liquid-filled cavity teeming with various species previously identified only on the seafloor, including large tube worms and mobile creatures such as worms and snails.
The authors of the paper suggest that the larval communities of seafloor organisms might inhabit these subsurface environments, indicating a complex interaction between the seafloor ecosystem and its below-surface counterparts. They concluded that the identification of animal habitats beneath the seafloor, although their extent remains uncertain, emphasizes the urgency of addressing potential future environmental changes.
