Wreckfish (IMAGE)

University of Washington

Wreckfish

Caption

A 3-foot-long wreckfish swims by a portion of an 18-story (60 meter) chimney in the Lost City hydrothermal vent field. The white part of the edifice in the foreground is actively venting highly alkaline fluids rich in methane, hydrogen and abiogenic hydrocarbons. The warm, diffusely venting fluids support dense microbial communities that thrive on the chimney surface and interior.

Credit

D. Kelley of University of Washington, IFE, URI‑IAO, UW, Lost City science party, NOAA

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