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Vent Convention

September 24, 2017

About 160 scientists and researchers from around the world participated in the 6th International Symposium on Chemosynthesis-Based Ecosystems (CBE6) at WHOI recently. The event marked the 40th anniversary of the discovery of deep-sea hydrothermal vents in 1977, which introduced the world to a previously unknown system of life on Earth, one based on reactions involving inorganic chemicals in the absence of sunlight, also known as chemosynthesis. While celebrating the discovery, the symposium also examined how far we have come since then by discussing recent developments in the study of chemosynthetic ecosystems, the societal relevance of these organisms, and the threats they face. (Photo by Matthew Barton, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)