This beautiful creature referred to as “dandelion” was discovered by geologists during a 1977 expedition. Scientists now know that it is a siphonophore, a relative of the Portuguese man-of-war. Image courtesy of NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Galápagos Rift Expedition 2011. Download larger version (jpg, 1.1 MB).
A bright pink Holothurian sea cucumber rests beneath large 'pillows' of cooled lava that have since been coated in sediment. Sea cucumbers typically make up a large proportion of the total deep-sea biomass. Video courtesy of NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Galapágos Rift Expedition 2011. Download (mp4, 31.4 MB)
Animals living near hydrothermal vents have to survive under harsh conditions like high pressure, steep temperature gradients, and high concentrations of toxic chemicals. Despite these seemingly inhospitable conditions, many animals do more than simply survive. They thrive.
