Ecosystems
Hydrothermal vents in the deep ocean host unique ecosystems where chemical energy nurtures life instead of sunlight. VENTS works with international collaborators in the fields of biology, microbiology, pharmacology, and ecology to understand the relationships between hydrothermal output, volcanic activity, and chemosynthetic ecosystems in the deep sea.
VENTS ecosystem collaborators include:
Dr. Julie Huber, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA
Marine microbiology and the subseafloor biosphere (publications)
Dr. John Baross, School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Thermophilic microorganisms from volcanic environments, the origin and evolution of life (publications)
Dr. Craig Moyer, Biology Department, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA
Marine microbial ecology and geomicrobiology of hydrothermal vent systems (publications)
Dr. Verena Tunnicliffe, Biology Department, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
Ecology and evolution of hot-vent animals, biogeography (publications)
Dr. Kim Juniper, Biology Department, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
Physical, chemical, microbial and faunal components of hydrothermal vent ecosystems (publications)
Dr. Anna Metaxas, Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada, Deep-sea larval ecology (publications)
Dr. Tim Shank, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Molecular ecology and evolution of benthic marine species (publications)
Dr. Mark Zabriskie, School of Pharmacy, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
Medicinal chemistry and biodiscovery of natural products
Dr. Kerry McPhail, School of Pharmacy, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
Natural products chemistry and drug development
Dr. Ray Lee, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
Ecological physiology, adaptation of marine invertebrates to extreme environments (publications)
Highlights:
Mussels near a submarine volcano survived for several decades despite the presence of extremely acidic waters, providing a glimpse into an ecosystem’s response to ocean acidification, as is expected from the rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Nature Geosciences
National Public Radio story on the unique microbes at Axial Seamount, discovered during VENTS program expeditions and work by our ecosystem collaborators:
New Discoveries in Deep-Sea Biodiversity
Visit a gallery of the species of deep-sea animals found at Axial Seamount. Most of these species are only found at hydrothermal vents. This gallery is part of our NeMO web sites focused on research at Axial Seamount.
Gallery of vent animals