Hydrothermal Vents Reveal Unique, Unexpected Marine Ecosystem

Hydrothermal vents are underwater springs that form on the ocean floor. Find out how an international scientific expedition surprised even themselves when they uncovered a new kind of ecosystem beneath one of these formations.

I started snorkelling at a very young age, and I always found underwater swimming in lakes and ponds more enjoyable than doing laps in a concrete pool. There’s something compelling about the underwater world and its inhabitants.

I remember thinking as a young boy that everything seems more graceful underwater. Spending my summers on the edge of Ontario’s Fathom Five National Marine Park was a big bonus for a boy with that attitude.

Life began underwater. Some scientists think it may have originated in geological features on the ocean floor called hydrothermal vents.

Hydrothermal Vents Emit Mineral-Rich Hot Water

These vents emit mineral-rich hot water into the cold, dark environment at the bottom of the ocean. They form when seawater interacts with magma beneath the Earth’s crust.