Hydothermal vents...?

Question

Over time organisms have adapted and are able to survive near Hydrothermal vents in the ocean trenches on the seafloor. Describe two advantages that the organisms might have in order to survive near the hydrothermal vents.

identify two conditions in which the organism near the hydrothermal vent may be different from the surace of the ocean.

Thanks in advance! :)

Answer 1

Advantages organisms near hydrothermal vent may have:

1. Ability to process sulfur compounds (which are toxic to most organisms) via chemosynthesis.

2. Ability to withstand very high temperatures without being "cooked" (up to 100°C).

Two conditions near hydrothermal vent:

1. Extremes in temperature of up to 400°C.

2. High pressures up to 300 atm.

3. Presence of toxic sulfur-based chemicals.

4. Acidic water conditions close to the vent.

Answer 2

Hi Sumaiya,

Hey, Culture Nine got most of it, but missed the BIG enchilada...

Organism near hydrothermal vents are also able to survive without the presence of sunlight (that is where the ability for chemosynthesis comes in).  [NOTE: this is NOT to say that they don't ultimately depend upon the sun's light... see * below.]

Actually, it is not ALL of the organisms around a vent that do the chemosynthesis.  It is only the tiny microbes which oxidize the hydrogen sulfide that comes out of the vents.  These tiny microbes then provide nutrients for animals higher up the food chain.

Some of these critters (such as mollusks) feed directly upon the tiny microbes, while others (such as some fish) eat the mollusks and other critters that made direct use of the microbes.  Still others (such as the tubeworms) play host to the microbes in a mutual symbiotic relationship where the microbes are hosted and protected within the tubeworms' tissues, and the microbes, in turn, provide the tubeworms with organic compounds (nutrients) that the bacteria make from the vent chemicals and seawater.

* Here's the catch... these organisms still DEPEND upon sunlight because the microorganisms require O2, which comes from the surface and is produced by "green" plants at or near the surface through photosynthesis.  So, indirectly, these critters do require sunlight!

I hope this helps.

Hiking Tony