The Fascinating Life of Deep Sea Cold Seeps

Cold Seeps in the Deep Sea Explained. The deep sea floor is a barren realm. Life on the abyssal plain exists in a constant struggle to survive against the extreme pressure, darkness, and the scraps of food that drift down from shallower waters. But in some places, tectonic activity has formed areas on the sea floor where creatures do not have to rely entirely on this marine snow of organic material. These are cold seeps. Areas of the ocean floor where hydrogen sulphide, methane, and other hydrocarbon-rich seepage occurs. Through a number of unique process that we will explore in this film, the chemicals support a biome of highly specialised creatures that live around these cold seeps, sustaining abundant communities in some very harsh environments.

In many ways, cold seeps are similar to another deep sea habitat. At both cold seeps and hydrothermal vents, chemical-rich fluids emanate from the sea-floor, and bacteria use them provide the energy needed to sustain communities of life. In both cases, this process forms the basis of a complex food web, allowing organisms to better survive than if that had to rely entirely on marine snow.

But where cold seeps and hydrothermal vents differ is in the underlying conditions that form and drive them. At vents, the water is superheated up to 350C, so towering chimney structures are able to form as the minerals harden upon contact with the cooler seawater. At seeps, however, chemicals emanate out at the same temperature as the surrounding ocean. Thus, there are no thermophiles - or heat-lovers - at cold seeps. But the communities that form here mirror those of hydrothermal vents in a number of ways. Clams, mussels, snails, and shrimp graze on the microbial mats, and in turn provide food for predatory organisms such as octopuses, fish andcrustaceansthat are attracted to these vibrant communities.

DEEP SEA HUB: https://naturalworldfacts.com/deep-sea-hub

00:00 - Introduction
00:40 - What is a Cold Seep?
01:10 - How Cold Seeps Support Biodiversity
01:56 - The Deep Sea Nutrient Cycle
02:19 - Chemosynthesis at Cold Seeps
02:52 - Similarities of Cold Seeps and Hydrothermal Vents
03:26 - Differences between Seeps and Vents
04:01 - Biodiversity at Cold Seeps
04:28 - Symbiosis at Cold Seeps
04:51 - Cold-Seep Tube Worms
05:28 - How Cold Seeps Form
05:59 - Brine Pools Explained
06:49 - Carbonate Reefs Explained
07:25 - The Benthic Life of Cold Seeps
07:53 - Conclusion: Life at Cold Seeps is Diverse
08:38 - The Deep Sea Hub

Footage used belongs to Schmidt Ocean Institute, MBARI, MarumTV, OceanX and the Ocean Exploration Institute.

#deepsea #wildlife #nature #documentary #ocean #marinebiology #science #biology

Music Used:
At the Precipice of a Dying Light - Dan Bodan
Sonora - Quincas Moreira
When Gods Pontificate - Dan Bodan
Joy Ride - Bad Snacks

Resources:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/cold-seep
https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/475-cold-seep-communities