Life at Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vents— Oases Under Water

摘要

This paper briefly recapitulates the discovery of the first deep sea hydrothermal vents and the research undertaken within the past 30 years, followed by an overview of their biological aspects. Highlighting two unique characteristics of organisms found in this exceptional habitat: their adaptation to obtain food by microbial energy transformation and recently discovered symbiotic associations between animals and bacteria, it argues that these exclusive features qualify hydrothermal vent habitats as unique ecosystems, and concludes with comments on recent and future scientific studies.