Hydrothermal Biocommunities
Various animal species residing in hydrothermal bio-communities were recently discovered in 1977 in the Galapagos Rift near South America. Before this discovery, scientists presumed that due to a lack of photosynthetic energy and food sources that only a small variation of life resided in the deep ocean communities. Also, the abundance of toxins and heavy metals produced by hydrothermal vents justified the theory that an array of animal life was unlikely. A deep sea expedition refuted this theory and showed that hydrothermal vents were able to foster large amounts of life form and even showed that life in hydrothermal vents are the basis for many sea creatures.
Bacteria species like archaea, which form the basis of the food web, thrive in hydrothermal biocommunities. Archaea thrive on the immense heat radiated by the hydrothermal vents and relies upon the ocean floor nutrients to stimulate their chemosynthesis process. Larger animals discovered to live near hydrothermal vents like the giant tube worm, shrimp, mussels, and white crabs were an even more shocking discovery because of how they were able to withstand the toxics and heavy metals that came from these hydrothermal vents. A tube worm residing in a hydrothermal vent can grow at a surprising rate of almost eighty centimeters a year. Eyeless shrimp also inhabit various biological communities. These tube worms and other sea creatures in this biological community depend on the archaea bacteria as a food source and as the main nutrient in stimulating their growth.
Bacteria species like archaea, which form the basis of the food web, thrive in hydrothermal biocommunities. Archaea thrive on the immense heat radiated by the hydrothermal vents and relies upon the ocean floor nutrients to stimulate their chemosynthesis process. Larger animals discovered to live near hydrothermal vents like the giant tube worm, shrimp, mussels, and white crabs were an even more shocking discovery because of how they were able to withstand the toxics and heavy metals that came from these hydrothermal vents. A tube worm residing in a hydrothermal vent can grow at a surprising rate of almost eighty centimeters a year. Eyeless shrimp also inhabit various biological communities. These tube worms and other sea creatures in this biological community depend on the archaea bacteria as a food source and as the main nutrient in stimulating their growth.