A group of researchers found them. They are giant worms and are under the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, at a depth of 2.5 kilometers. They thrive despite water pressure 250 times greater than at the surface and complete darkness. This discovery is of great importance to better understand the evolution of life on our planet. The giant worm ecosystem has a lot to tell us.
The abundance of worms and mollusks that thrive near them has long aroused the curiosity of scientists. They recently decided to see what happens under the ocean floor. Until now, it was assumed that only microscopic living beings could live in the space of the earth’s crust: viruses, microbes. Now it turns out that, at least, this is not entirely true.

3 meter worms
Using remotely operated machinery, marine biology researchers recently drilled holes into the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. It was just inside the mid-ocean ridge, near the Galapagos Islands. At a depth of 2.5 kilometers.
When they managed to lift the pieces of rock, a whole unknown world opened up. It turned out that under the bottom there are cavities filled with water from hydrothermal vents. Even absolutely enormous creatures live in these deposits: tube worms. Riftia pachyptila. They are also called giant tube worms. They can grow up to three meters.
In addition to these worms, the area is inhabited by their smaller relatives, as well as mussels and snails. Biologists assume that the larvae of giant worms can get into these cavities in the process of complex circulation of water through cracks in the lower layers. That is, the site is not very “hermetically” sealed. There is some interaction with the ocean.

Preservation
The giant worm ecosystem must be preserved. «It is important to know who lives there and to be able to protect them from deep sea mining. “This fauna is unique and must be protected,” says professor of marine biology at the University of Vienna and co-author of the study, Monika Bright.
The study shows that, even under extreme conditions, a complex ecosystem can exist beneath the seabed. Understanding the survival and distribution mechanisms of deep-sea organisms is important. It helps us study the evolution of life on Earth and the possible existence of life on other planets. The study was published in Nature Communications.