Gallery: Life of the Costa Rica Margin Hydrothermal Seep
Clam I Am
Another view from the Alvin submersible reveals dense aggregates of clams.
Vent Limpet
Lepetotrilid limpet (Lepetodrilus sp.) with sulfide-oxidizing bacteria on its back. The spherical budding bacteria appear to be Thiomargarita. The limpets live on mussels near warm venting fluids.
Tube Worm
A close-up look at one of the many tube worms that calls the hydrothermal seep area home.
Polynoid Worm
A polynoid worm found at the Jaco Scar hydrothermal seep area.
Bristle Worm
A terebellid, or bristle worm, from the vent site. Most bristle worms burrow in the ocean floor and consume organic material there.
Nautiliniellid Worm
A Nautiliniellid worm that lives at the methane seep/hydrothermal site in the deep ocean off Costa Rica.
Galatheid Crab
A galatheid crab, a common deep-sea species.
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Stephanie Pappas is a contributing writer for Live Science, covering topics ranging from geoscience to archaeology to the human brain and behavior. She was previously a senior writer for Live Science but is now a freelancer based in Denver, Colorado, and regularly contributes to Scientific American and The Monitor, the monthly magazine of the American Psychological Association. Stephanie received a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of South Carolina and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz.