REPRODUCED FROM:
ACCESS TO VIDEO:
During an underwater exploration, scientists at the Schmidt Ocean Institute used a remotely piloted vehicle (ROV) to pull a layer of volcanic crust from the seafloor — and found an entirely new marine ecosystem beneath it. At the site, subsurface fluid veins filled with never-before-recorded life forms were seen.
What's below the hydrothermal fissures?
Beneath the volcanic crust, an ecosystem of worms, sea slugs and chemosynthetic bacteria has been found, that is, that take advantage of minerals to take their energy instead of sunlight. Two dynamic habitats have been identified in the fissures—the animals above and below the layer live in unison, depending on the subsurface fluid from the bottom and oxygen from the ocean water above.
