Mid-Cayman Rise 2011: Chemosynthetic Life in Atlantic Waters

The “moment of discovery“ occurred on August 9, 2011, at an active hydrothermal vent habitat ~2,300 meters deep at the Mid-Cayman Rise where chemosynthetic shrimp and tubeworms were observed together for what scientists believe is the first time in the world. These animals, relying on symbiotic chemosynthetic bacteria, derive energy from chemical processes occurring at hydrothermal vents or seeps on the seafloor, unlike most other life on Earth which relies upon energy from the sun (photosynthetic life).