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Lost City and Hydrothermal Vents |
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Lost City and Hydrothermal Vents provides a fascinating look at the previously unknown concentrations of life near scalding hot undersea geysers at 9,000 feet along the mid-Atlantic ridge. The Lost City hydrothermal vent field is like no other place on Earth. With magnificently venting limestone pinnacles of the Lost City, which lie nearly 2,100 feet underwater, this area supports many different microbial life forms that thrive in the warm, hydrogen- and methane-rich fluids that surround the field. In the 1970s, scientists discovered a thriving animal community among warm water vents and chimneys at the Galapagos Rift in the Pacific Ocean. Rich with hydrogen sulfides (poisonous to most land animals), scientists were stunned to discover a variety of odd-looking marine animals, including six-foot-long tubeworms, foot-long clams, crabs and muscles. Visitors to this exhibit will see some of the creatures from Lost City and relive Dr. Ballard and his team’s 2005 journey to this uncharted ocean area. |
Animals & Exhibits 
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