The ocean remains a source of new discoveries as researchers have consistently been exploring uncharted territories underwater. As such, a new ecosystem was discovered beneath an undersea volcano.
Hidden World Discovered
According to Live Science, scientists have found a whole new world beneath an undersea volcano. In a recent expedition, they were able to find bizarre creatures.
The habitat is exceptionally unique and is filled with different forms of life that the researchers have never seen before. The unique creatures include snails, worms, and octopuses that live in the depths of the ocean.
These creatures were discovered underneath the East Pacific Rise's hydrothermal vents, which are located off Central America. Through the help of Falkor, the research vessel, scientists utilized a robotic arm to investigate the seafloor.
According to Schmidt Ocean, Jyotika Virmani, the Schmidt Ocean Institute executive director and the one who spearheaded the expedition, said that for the first time, they've discovered animals underneath hydrothermal vents.
Virmani pointed out that this was a first and previously, scientists only knew of animals that reside in underground cavities, mud, and sand in the ocean. He then described the discovery as "remarkable," highlighting how it gave them more understanding of the new ecosystem.
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New Ecosystem
Virmani said that the discovery was made in an ecosystem under another ecosystem, which gives the scientists fresh evidence of life existing in unexpected environments. As noted by Nautilus Live, these hydrothermal vents were discovered in 1977 by Robert Ballard.
These vents were discovered upon the exploration of the East Pacific Ridge, found close to the Galapagos Island's nearby tectonic plate boundary. This boundary is located in South America's west coast.
The vents are about 10 to 12 meters tall and are shaped like totems of melted wax, which gush hot and are found in the ocean's mineral-rich waters. The temperature around the vents is extreme and can reach 694 °F.
Scientists discovered food chains receding in these vents comprising of chemosynthetic bacteria, crabs, gastropods, and worms. These creatures were thriving off of the nutrients coming from the vents.
Underneath the Vents
Despite the vents having interesting temperatures and providing an interesting environment, scientists hadn't tried to venture beneath them to look for signs of life until recently. The mission involved the use of a robotic arm to search the ocean floor.
The scientists then placed mesh boxes over the cracks of the environment and when researchers returned later on, they discovered new animals living underneath the cavities. As such, this gave them confirmation that they needed regarding creatures thriving beneath the seafloor.
One of the animals discovered was the Riftia pachyptila, a giant tube worm, which was particularly interesting for the researchers. Their young was discovered above the vents, leading the scientists to come to the conclusion that the larvae came from beneath the undersea vents.
The scientists estimated that the young worms rode the subsea volcanic fluids to carry them to new habitats.
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