In the late 1970s, two unique research vehicles, WHOI's Alvin (above) and NASA's Voyager I, made separate but complementary discoveries in inner and outer space. By discovering thriving biological communities near seafloor volcanic vents, Alvin helped show that water plus volcanism can support life without sunlight. Voyager I discovered active volcanism on Jupiter's moon Io, showing that volcanism was more common in the solar system than previously believed. These two ideas have only recently combined to guide scientists' search for life on other planetary bodies.[back]
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