Close up of a tubeworm “bush”, which mines for sulfide in the carbonate substrate with their roots. The sulfide is metabolized by bacteria living in the tubeworms, and the energy produced sustains both organisms. It is a classic symbiotic relationship.
 Clump of Mussels
Image courtesy of Lophelia II 2010 Expedition, NOAA-OER/BOEMRE. Download larger version (jpg, 1.8 MB).

Close up of a tubeworm “bush”, which mines for sulfide in the carbonate substrate with their roots. The sulfide is metabolized by bacteria living in the tubeworms, and the energy produced sustains both organisms. It is a classic symbiotic relationship.

Learn more