NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer Observes First Live Vent Tubeworms Seen in Atlantic
Posted on September 9, 2011
Ocean explorers on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer observed the first known live tubeworms ever seen at a hydrothermal vent in Atlantic waters. They also witnessed two species of marine life scientists believe have never before been seen together at a hydrothermal vent - chemosynthetic shrimp and tubeworms. The discoveries were made during a recent expedition to the Mid-Cayman Rise south of Grand Cayman Island in the Caribbean.
Chemosynthetic tubeworms and shrimp are unlike most other life on Earth that are photosynthetic - relying on energy from the sun. The hydrothermal animals derive energy from chemicals that rise in the hot water of hydrothermal vents, making them chemosynthetic.
Expedition Science Lead Chris German, Ph.D., chief scientist for the National Deep Submergence Facility at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts, says, "Not only did we see extensive tube worm communities of differing sizes and shapes across the length and breadth of a large hydrothermal vent field, but we observed for the first time anywhere, chemosynthetic shrimp and tubeworms inhabiting the same hydrothermal site."
You can see a high-resolution image of the photograph here.
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