A recent exploration uncovered large ocean worms living inside secret underwater spaces in the East Pacific Rise.
As per Earth.com, this area is volcanically active and located between tectonic plates.
The exploration was conducted using the research vessel Folker, which is operated by the Schmidt Ocean Institute.
During a mission, a remotely operated submarine named SuB-astian was used to lift pieces of the ocean’s crust in order to examine what is located underneath.
The researchers aimed to show how worms, snails and bacteria that rely on chemicals can survive in environments that were previously thought to be too harsh for complex life forms to live in.
“It was once believed that only microbes and viruses inhabited the subseafloor crust beneath hydrothermal vents. Yet, on the seafloor, animals like the giant tubeworm Riftia pachyptila thrive,” as per the study published in the journal Nature Communications.
The research team discovered that the creatures use the hidden cavities beneath the ocean as natural shelter.
The temperature in these cavities is moderate, around 75F (24C) which is much milder than in open waters.
The heat in these areas comes from geological activity but even with this moderate temperature, the conditions still seem harsh for life to survive.
Sabine Gollner, a co-author on the publication said, “It’s amazing to discover how life finds ways to thrive in such extreme environments.”
Scientists previously believed these animals could only live in visible hydrothermal vents.
However, the discovery of these animals in dark cracks beneath the ocean floor demonstrates how life can adapt in unexpected places.
