One of the most distinctive creatures living around hydrothermal vents is the giant tubeworm (Riftia pachyptila). Reaching up to six feet in height, the tubeworm’s tube is primarily made of chitin, the same material found in crab and shrimp exoskeletons. The red plume at the top gets its color from hemoglobin, much like human blood. The hemoglobin absorbs oxygen, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide from the water, which chemosynthetic bacteria inside the tube use to produce food for themselves

As the Monterey Bay Aquarium prepares for the launch of the 2022 Into the deep: Exploring our undiscovered ocean exhibit, MBARI deep-sea biologist Shannon Johnson shares some of her favorite stories about hydrothermal vents and the life that thrives at these magnificent deep-sea habitats. Towering chimneys spew hot, mineral-laden water out of the deep seafloor. The astonishing communities that live on and around the vents have evolved to not only withstand but flourish in the extreme temperature