Everything about Cold Seeps totally explained
A
cold seep (sometimes called a
cold vent) is an area of the
ocean floor where
hydrogen sulfide,
methane and other
hydrocarbon-rich fluid seepage occurs, often in the form of a
brine pool. Cold seeps constitute a
biome supporting several endemic species.
Entire communities of light independent organisms - known as
extremophiles - develop in and around cold seeps, most relying on a
symbiotic relationship with
chemoautotrophic
bacteria. These prokaryotes, both
Archaea and
Eubacteria, process sulfides and methane through
chemosynthesis into chemical energy. More complex organisms, such as
vesicomyid clams and
siboglinid tube worms use this energy to power their own life processes. In exchange, the bacteria are provided with both safety and a reliable source of food. Other bacteria form mats that blanket sizable areas.
Cold seeps and
hydrothermal vents are similar in that they're the only known ecosystems that don't rely on
photosynthesis for food and energy production. Unlike hydrothermal vents which are volatile and ephemeral environments, cold seeps emit at a slow and dependable rate. Likely owing to the cooler temperatures and stability, many cold seep organisms are much longer-lived than those inhabiting hydrothermal vents. Recent research has revealed that the seep tubeworm
Lamellibrachia luymesi may be the longest living noncolonial invertebrate known, with a lifespan between 170 and 250 years.
Cold seeps were discovered in 1984 by Dr.
Charles Paull in the
Gulf of Mexico at a depth of 3,200 meters. Since then, seeps have been discovered in other parts of the world's oceans, including the
Monterey Canyon just off
Monterey Bay, California, the
Sea of Japan, off the Pacific coast of
Costa Rica, in the Atlantic off of
Africa, in waters off the coast of
Alaska, and under an
ice shelf in
Antarctica. The deepest seep community known is found in the Japan trench at a depth of 7326 m.
Cold seeps develop unique topography over time, where reactions between methane and seawater create
carbonate rock formations and reefs. These reactions may also be dependent on bacterial activity.
Ikaite, a hydrous calcium carbonate, can be associated with oxidizing methane at cold seeps.
Further Information
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