The planet It has many layers that scientists are analyzing one at a time. This time a group of researchers has focused on the one that opens under the underwater volcanic crust, which is packed with Life still unknown.
The fauna that has settled in the depths of the oceans is fascinating and full of mysteries yet to be elucidated.
Recently, an interdisciplinary and international team of specialists announced a Amazing new ecosystem after a discovery within volcanic caves in Central America. The Schmidt Ocean Institute’s (SOI) research vessel Falkor took 30 days to complete its expedition and shed light on one of the biggest discoveries in 46 years of study of the hydrothermal vents.
In East Pacific Rise, An underwater robot was able to flip sections of volcanic crust to reveal a new ecosystem for science teeming with worms, snails and chemosynthetic bacteria which apparently thrive despite living at 25°C underwater. This new scenario changes the way scholars view hydrothermal vents, adding an entirely new dimension to the ecosystems that exist both on their surface and below.
“On land, we have long known of animals living in underground caves, and in the ocean of others living in sand and mud, but for the first time, scientists have looked beneath hydrothermal vents,” explained SOI’s Executive Director. Jyotika Virmani—. This truly remarkable discovery of a new ecosystem, hidden beneath another ecosystem, provides new evidence that life exists in incredible places.”
This is the First time that life is found beneath hydrothermal vents, which are Hot volcanic springs that are distributed along the seabed.
The team also found evidence that surface species, such as tube worms, can travel beneath it using venting fluid, allowing them to expand their circulation range. New hydrothermal vents may appear when tectonic activity causes the plates of the Earth’s crust move and crack. These crevices are filled with seawater that is heated by magma and causes it to reintegrate the seabed.
“For a long time we have understood how the new hydrothermal vents appear,” Dojo Virmani, “but what we did not understand in all its dimension was How the ecosystems that live in them emerge so quickly. One of the fundamental animals of these ecosystems is the tube worm, But we have rarely found their young on the surfaces of hydrothermal vents.”
This fundamental new discovery about how these worms can travel below the surface of hydrothermal vents explains in some way. how they colonize new habitats. The scientists were able to reach their conclusions with the help of the underwater robot called ROV SuBastian, which glued boxes over cracks in the earth’s crust and was able to collect some of the animals that live below the surface.
“Our understanding of animal life at deep-sea hydrothermal vents has been greatly expanded with this discovery,” said expedition leader. Monika Bright, of the University of Vienna—. There are two dynamic vent habitats. The animals there, above and below the surface, thrive together in unison, depending on the fluid below and the oxygen in the seawater from above.”
The Discovery of a new ecosystem It’s always exciting, but it also represents a new consideration in the ongoing debate about deep-sea mining safety. Some argue that the seabed is the path of least destruction when it comes to extracting from the planet the metals needed to supply the green battery revolution, but others warn that there is a long way to go before the potential harms of digging in the sea can be established.Undo.
“The discoveries made on each Schmidt Ocean Institute expedition reinforce the urgency to fully explore our ocean so that Let’s know what exists in the depths of the sea “said Wendy Schmidt, president and co-founder of the Schmidt Ocean Institute.” The discovery of new creatures, landscapes, and now, an entirely new ecosystem underscores how much we have left to discover about our ocean, and how important it is to protect what we don’t yet know or understand” he concluded.
