Life at Vents & Seeps
East Pacific Rise
Captured by the researchers and crew of Atlantis from HOV Alvin with artist Mel O’Callaghan during the 2018 UNOLS cruise.
Read MoreROV Jason captures underwater video during earthquake
In January and February 2020, scientists on R/V Atlantis explored hydrothermal vents on the Cayman Rise. They used the remotely operated vehicle Jason to get an up-close view of the vents and life around them. The vents lie on a seismically active part of the seafloor known as a mid-ocean ridge. Deep-sea shrimp swarm the vents, feeding on microbes that live on chemicals flowing from the vents. While they were there, a magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck just 100 miles away. Scientists will now be able to study how seismic activity affects hydrothermal vents and the life around them.
Read MoreOcean Robots: Hydrothermal Vents
Since they were discovered in the East Pacific in 1977, hydrothermal vents have captivated scientists and the public alike. New…
Read MoreLife at Vents and Seeps
Alvin‘s Animals
Deep-sea Detectives
Global Distribution of Hydrothermal Vent Fields
Life at Vents and Seeps
What’s Living in the Ocean?
Yeti Crab
Many crab species live at hydrothermal vents, scavenging and eating other organisms. In 2005 scientists in Alvin (the shadow you…
Read MoreThe Hagfish Capture
Pilot Bruce Strickrott maneuvers the submersible Alvin toward a new species of deep-sea hagfish and captures it with a suction…
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