Black Smokers - Breath of the Ocean

The continents and oceans of our planet are in constant motion. According to the theory of tectonics of lithospheric plates, there are expansion zones on Earth where a new crust is formed. These are the mid-ocean ridges (rift zones) at the bottom of the ocean and the continental rift zone. At the same time, in the so-called subduction zones, this process is compensated - the immersion of the earth's crust.

The first "black smokers" were discovered in the 70s of the last century in the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean. Later they were discovered in other oceans near the mid-ocean ridges. Despite the ominous appearance and aggressive chemical composition, "black smokers" are able to give shelter to living organisms. Communities of chemosynthetic bacteria live here. These unique organisms are able to live away from sunlight and endure completely unsuitable living conditions for others - a mixture of hydrogen sulfide and heavy metals. According to scientists, these are the most ancient inhabitants of our planet. Their existence is based on chemosynthesis, not photosynthesis, as in other simple organisms. And they chose their habitats very similar to our Earth from the time of Archean. Ecosystems of “black smokers” are a peculiar world of the past, which has remained almost unchanged for 5 billion years.