Riftia tubeworms colonize diffuse vent habitats between broken pieces of lava. Small mussels, less than two inches, were growing in cracks adjacent to vent openings (lower right).

Riftia tubeworms colonize diffuse vent habitats between broken pieces of lava. Small mussels, less than two inches, were growing in cracks adjacent to vent openings (lower right). Image courtesy of NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Galápagos Rift Expedition 2011. Download larger version (jpg, 1.5 MB).

Dive Two at the New Vent Site
July 23, 2011

Nine ROV dives into the expedition, the science team finally discovered the type of hydrothermal vent community they had been searching for. Clusters of tube worms, limpets, mussels, and anemones were seen to inhabit cracks in the lava bed where mineral-rich, geothermally-heated water 'vents' out. Two species of tube worms were found in abundance: the giant Riftia pachyptila and also the much smaller, never before observed in the Galápagos, Tevnia jerichonana. Brachyuran crabs, vent shrimp, and scale worms clung not only to the surrounding rock but also to the tube worms themselves in some cases. Extensive fields of dead and living clams surrounded the individual pockets of venting. Video courtesy of NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Galapágos Rift Expedition 2011. Download (mp4, 52.7 MB)

Overnight tow-yo operations across site 4A West and 4A East picked up one strong plume target. It is quite likely that the signal is from the vent we discovered yesterday. During today's dive we are revisiting the new vent site. Our hope it to determine the geographical extent of the site and better document the biological communities.