Study examines the role of deep-sea microbial predators at hydrothermal vents

(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) The hydrothermal vent fluids from the Gorda Ridge spreading center in the northeast Pacific Ocean create a biological hub of activity in the deep sea. There, in the dark ocean, a unique food web thrives not on photosynthesis but rather on chemical energy from the venting fluids. Among the creatures having a field day feasting at the Gorda Ridge vents is a diverse assortment of microbial eukaryotes, or protists, that graze on chemosynthetic bacteria and archaea.

Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - July 16, 2021 Category: Biology Source Type: news