Deep Sea Survival by Chemosynthesis

In the deep ocean, the light does not reach the hydrothermal vent communities. The primary producers of these ecosystems are bacteria that use chemosynthesis to produce organic material and energy from dissolved hydrogen sulfide. These bacteria live in mats around the vents, as well as symbiotically in the tissues of vent organisms.

Chemosynthesis in the ocean: click on the numbers below to find out more. The water that comes out of the hydrothermal vent is rich in dissolved minerals and supports a large population of chemoautotrophic bacteria. These bacteria use sulfur compounds, particularly hydrogen sulfide, a chemical highly toxic to most known organisms, to produce organic material through the process of chemosynthesis. check out this video of Chemosynthesis and Hydrothermal Vent Life from NOAA

| Photosynthesis | Chemosynthesis |