Hydrothermal vents feed ecosystems with chemical energy not sunlight
Seawater that seeps into hot crust vents back rich in hydrogen sulfide and metals. Chemosynthetic bacteria oxidize those chemicals and form the base of entire food webs in total darkness.
Giant tube worms, vent crabs, and specialized mussels cluster around chimneys where geology, not photosynthesis, pays the energy bill.
Sunlight is optional on the seafloor. Where Earth’s heat cooks seawater, life builds cities on chemistry alone.
Comments
0 comments