Hydrothermal vent communities in the Gulf of California
4,794 views · Published 20 July 2017 · 0:36 · Indexed 25 September 2026
Channel: MBARI (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute) · 2017 · Science & Technology
Two remarkably different hydrothermal vent fields discovered in the southern Gulf of California were recently described by a team of scientists. Despite being relatively close together, these vents host very different animal communities. This finding contradicts a common scientific assumption that neighboring hydrothermal vents will share similar animal communities. Instead, new research suggests that local geology and the chemistry of the vent fluids are important factors determining biological community composition. This video shows different vent formations in the southern gulf as well as some of the animals living at these vents. The communities at these vents include worms such as Alvinella sp., Riftia pachyptila, Oasisia sp., as well as Bythograea crabs, and the fish Thermarces cerberus. MBARI news release: http://www.mbari.org/new-study-challenges-prevailing-theory-about-how-deep-sea-vents-are-colonized/ Original journal article: Goffredi, S., Johnson, S., Tunnicliffe, V., Caress, D., Clague, D., Escobar, E., Lundsten, L., Paduan, J.B., Rouse, G., Salcedo, D.L., Soto, L.A., Spelz-Madero, R., Zierenberg, R., and Vrijenhoek, R. (2017). Hydrothermal vent fields discovered in the southern Gulf of California clarify role of habitat in augmenting regional diversity. Proc. R. Soc. B 20170817. DOI: 110.1098/rspb.2017.0817
