Mastodawn

How does the alvinellid worm Paralvinella hessleri survive the toxic extremes of deep-sea #HydrothermalVents? A new study in #PLOSBiology shows that it detoxifies its environment by forming orpiment (As₂S₃) minerals inside epithelial cells; this unique #biomineralization reveals a novel adaptation to toxic environments.
https://plos.io/3HtVCZ6

A deep-sea hydrothermal vent worm detoxifies arsenic and sulfur by intracellular biomineralization of orpiment (As2S3)

The deep-sea worm Paralvinella hessleri thrives in extreme hydrothermal vents, tolerating high arsenic and hydrogen sulfide levels. This study shows that it detoxifies both by forming orpiment (As₂S₃) minerals inside epithelial cells; this unique biomineralization reveals a novel adaptation to toxic environments.

Cosmic Librarian Aug 24

Scientists Found an Undersea Metropolis That Dwarfs the Atlantic’s ‘Lost City’

The newly-discovered ecosystem surrounding a hydrothermal vent could give scientists clues as to how life began on Earth.

Researchers believe the earliest forms of life on Earth began in hydrothermal vents—cracks in the sea floor that release hot, mineral-rich water.
A team of scientists just discovered a hydrothermal system that’s 100 times larger than the famously massive Lost City system in the Atlantic Ocean.
The study suggests that the newly-discovered field—named the Kunlun system—may bring scientists one step closer to understanding the formula for life.

#life #ecosystem #hydrothermalvents #Kunlun

Scientists Found an Undersea Metropolis That Dwarfs the Atlantic’s ‘Lost City’

A newly-discovered ecosystem surrounding a hydrothermal vent, dubbed the Kunlun system, could give scientists clues as to how life began on Earth.

Popular Mechanics

Lukas VFN 🇪🇺Jun 10

New bacterial genome announcement from our team:

Draft genome sequence of Desulfobacterota strain M19, a mesophilic sulfur-disproportionating bacterium from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mra.00295-25

This new bacterium was found on a #DeepSea hydrothermal vent, 1663m deep under the Atlantic ocean surface. It can grow by both "eating" and "breathing" a single chemical—pure elemental sulfur.

#Bacteria #Microbes #Genomics #HydrothermalVents #Extremophiles

Lukas VFN 🇪🇺May 17

New Coral Gardens and Hydrothermal Vents Found in the Icy Depths of the Remote South Sandwich Islands https://schmidtocean.org/new-coral-gardens-hydrothermal-vents-found-south-sandwich-islands/

"recent #DeepSea expedition observed thriving polar ecosystems, discovered new #HydrothermalVents, coral gardens, and many suspected #NewSpecies... #SchmidtOceanInstitute’s RV #FalkorToo explored the #SouthSandwichIslands, including one of the coldest and most isolated submarine trenches on the planet, and also found evidence of explosive volcanism."

michael Dec 30, 2024

19-Dec-2024
Newly published study reveals diversity of novel #HydrothermalVents styles on the #Arctic Ocean floor
Research offers potential understanding of habitability on ocean worlds in the outer solar system

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1068825 #science #astrobiology #ecology #seafloor

Newly published study reveals diversity of novel hydrothermal vent styles on the Arctic Ocean floor

A new study about Earth’s northernmost seafloor hydrothermal system shows even more variety in vent styles than previously thought. • The study has important implications for understanding the origin of these vents and assessing their global-scale impact on the Earth-Ocean system. • The study also has implications for understanding and searching for habitable environments, and potentially even life on other ocean worlds in our outer solar system, according to the study’s authors. • The surprising results found from detailed deep-ocean studies at Polaris call into question how much we really know about the nature of seafloor venting along all ultra-slow spreading ridges on Earth which remain largely unexplored but make up 25% of the global ridge crest.

EurekAlert!

Judder Nov 29, 2024

After some time of trying mastodon, I quite like it here and will probably stay so it's maybe time for an introduction:
I'm a student in physical #oceanography in northern germany and mainly here for finding interesting research related content. Second interest is just general #opensource stuff & programming and third is politics.
For the research part I'm mostly a fan of #hydrothermalvents , #oceans , #climate , the #arctic , #antarctic , #glaciers , #seaice but also #ships and more.

Lukas VFN 🇪🇺Oct 21, 2024

Giant tube #worms dwell in the deep places beneath the ocean floor https://www.southernfriedscience.com/giant-tube-worms-dwell-in-the-deep-places-beneath-the-ocean-floor/

Animal life in the shallow subseafloor crust at #DeepSea #HydrothermalVents: Monika Bright et al. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-52631-9

"hydrothermal vent ecosystems can extend far beyond what is visible, not just horizontally across the seafloor, but vertically down into the subseafloor biosphere. The deep biosphere, assumed to be the exclusive domain of #microbes, is even more complex that previously known"

Lukas VFN 🇪🇺Oct 17, 2024

Scientists make surprise discovery of life in the seafloor’s underworld https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/16/science/life-below-seafloor-hydrothermal-vents/index.html

Animal life in the shallow subseafloor crust at #DeepSea #HydrothermalVents: Monika Bright et al. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-52631-9

"the vents belch out elements that help #bacteria, #mussels, #TubeWorms survive... researchers exposed parts of the #subseafloor and uncovered a surprise: #caves connected to the vents teeming with giant tube #worms, some reaching up to 0.5 meter long, and other #animals"

Scientists make surprise discovery of life in the seafloor’s ‘underworld’

A deep-sea expedition made the surprising discovery of a previously unknown ecosystem in which animals such as giant tube worms thrive beneath hydrothermal vents.

CNN