Forty years ago, a team of researchers including our founder Dr. Robert Ballard discovered hydrothermal vents smoking deep below the Galapagos Islands. This 1977 discovery changed our understanding of Earth processes and the possibilities for life to thrive on this planet. Hydrothermal vents are fissures in the Earth's surface that spew superheated, mineral-rich water--like geysers fueled by volcanoes! Communities of organisms from tube worms to squat lobsters live off these rich outflows from t

During the first leg of the Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas expedition, we conducted three dives focused on looking for active hydrothermal vent sites -- and we even found some! These sites are oases of life on the seafloor, supporting incredibly dense communities of animals – in particular chemosynthetic fauna. Check out more highlights from Leg 1 of the expedition: http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/explorations/ex1605/logs/may12/welcome.html | NOAA Ocean Exploration

Deep-sea explorers have discovered a fantastical expanse of hydrothermal vents beneath the Gulf of California. MORE: https://buff.ly/2IlgwbS | LiveScience

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