Dive and Discover : Vent Biology

Vent Biology

Not long ago, scientists thought that life could not exist on the deep ocean floor. Then in 1977, scientists diving in Alvin to the Galapagos Rift discovered a new community of animals previously unknown to science. These animals can withstand tremendous pressure, high temperatures, utter darkness, and toxic chemicals. Meet these amazing animals »

25th Anniversary of the Discovery of Hydrothermal Vents:

Vent Discovery CD cover
Click HERE to learn all about the discovery of hydrothermal vents made 27 years ago.

Click HERE to receive a 25th anniversary CD-ROM of the discovery.

Related Hot Topics

Bacteria at Hydrothermal Vents
From Expedition 4: Small but mighty, bacteria live everywhere at hydrothermal vents. Learn more about bacteria »

Looking for Microbes
From Expedition 2: Prof. Rachel Haymon and Dr. Patricia Holden, from the University of California - Santa Barbara, have an idea about how to look for microbes in active hydrothermal vent chimneys. Read about their experiment »

Galápagos Animal and Marine Life
From Expedition 5: The words “Galápagos Islands” bring to mind images of fantastic animals and plants, ranging from dragon-like iguanas and comical blue-footed boobies to incredibly slow moving giant tortoises lumbering through arid lava fields dotted with cacti. Learn more about the Galápagos’ wildlife »

Seabird Observations in the Western Galápagos Islands
From Expedition 5: One of the investigations complementing the geologic studies the scientists on board RV Revelle are carrying out, is a survey of the seabirds inhabiting the Galápagos. Learn more about Galápagos Seabirds »

Deep-Sea Corals
From Expedition 7: When most people think of corals, they think big. Big, interconnected structures such as the Great Barrier Reef off Australia, which can be seen from the Space Shuttle. Expedition 7, however, is going after much smaller coral formations that lie deep within the ocean, past the point where light penetrates. Learn more »