Biology
Why Hydrothermal Vents Support Unique Ecosystems Without Sunlight
Quick fact
A single hydrothermal vent can host communities with a biomass comparable to some of the most productive ecosystems on Earth, all in total darkness.
Why this is interesting
We are taught that all life depends on the Sun. Yet, in the pitch-black depths of the ocean, thriving oases of life cluster around volcanic vents—how do they survive without a single ray of light?