Living Creatures Discovered 2,500 Meters Beneath Ocean Floor

Scientists have made an extraordinary discovery, identifying animal life beneath the seafloor at a depth of 2,500 meters for the first time. This finding near deep hydrothermal vent systems challenges the previous belief that only microbes inhabited this region, suggesting that more of Earth’s crust could support complex life forms.

The discovery highlights that life can thrive even in the harshest environments, raising hopes for the possibility of finding life beyond Earth.

 

How did scientists uncover this life beneath the seafloor?

A research team made this breakthrough deep within the ocean’s subseafloor, one of the most extreme environments on Earth. Their study, published in *Nature Communications*, utilized the remotely operated vehicle SuBastian on the research vessel *Falkor (too)* to identify these animals.

The investigation took place at a depth of around 8,250 feet (2,515 meters) on the ocean floor in the eastern Pacific. Co-author Sabine Gollner from the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research explained to *Gizmodo*, “Our discovery shows us that animal life in the ocean is not restricted to the seafloor surface but extends into the shallow ocean crust.”

She added that the full extent of these subseafloor cavities, both horizontally and in depth, remains unknown. This habitat could play an important role in how ecosystems at hydrothermal vents develop, as there is a connection between seafloor and subseafloor environments.

 

What types of animals did the scientists discover?

The team discovered various animals, such as tubeworms, navigating through cavities below the seafloor. Specifically, they found species like the tubeworms *R. pachyptila* and *O. alvinae*, the mussels *B. thermophilus*, along with polychaete worms and limpets.

In their paper, the scientists noted, “The study of the subseafloor biosphere for animal life has just begun.” They emphasized that further research would enhance our understanding of hydrothermal vent ecosystems, their biogeochemistry, and their impact on global biodiversity. This research could also improve the management of seafloor and subseafloor habitats around hydrothermal vents.