Hot Stuff! Exploring a Hydrothermal Vent

During the second Voyage to the Ridge 2022 expedition, we explored the Moytirra Vent Field, which is the only deep high-temperature hydrothermal vent known between the Azores and the Reykjanes Ridge, south of Iceland. For most of the dive, we explored extinct areas around the vent site, as little is known about the organisms that live in hydrothermally inactive sulfide habitats on the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Near the end of the dive, we had the opportunity to explore a couple of active black smoker vent chimneys.

At the active vents, water temperatures were measured to be 54°C (129°F). The vents, seen at a depth of 2,947 meters (1.83 miles), were home to small caridean shrimp that rely on chemosynthesis for food.