Plate tectonics and seafloor spreading revolutionized the big picture of how our planet works. Scientists were eager to zoom in to see details of what was happening at the seafloor—close-up and first-hand. They wanted to confirm, for example, that hydrothermal vents actually existed. A flurry of research cruises in the 1970s gave scientists the prize they sought—and something else that they never expected.
In 1979, the National Science Foundation sponsored a return expedition to the vents at the Galápagos Rift. It was the first time that biologists got a look at the lush communities of life surrounding the vents. A film crew from the National Geographic Society participated in the cruise, and produced a documentary about the expedition called “Dive to the Edge of Creation.” Above is Part One of excerpts from the documentary. See Part Two »