Mid-Ocean Ridges and Hydrothermal Vents
Later in this topic, you will learn about some of the amazing plant and animal life that is present near hydrothermal vents – places in the ocean where extremely hot water is released from cracks in the Earth. These areas are teeming with all different sorts of organisms that exist in complex ecosystems and rely on the vents for energy. What do you think these organisms look like? Are they big or small? Are they brightly colored or neutral?
Take a few minutes to quickly create an image with your interpretation of a hydrothermal vent-dwelling organism. What features do you think an organism living in this remote ocean location would need? Why? You might consider the following items:
- How would your creature move?
- What would your creature eat?
You can create your image using one of the following methods:
- Hand-draw the image and then take a picture of it
- Hand-draw the assignment and then scan it
- Use a paint or graphics application to create the image