The Boltysh crater has an entire suite of crater-fill impactites preserved, including two impact meltbearing breccias. Smectite occurrence in the breccias suggests two stages of alteration; an early hydrothermal mineralization, and a later, low temperature weathering. δD and δO of smectite separates are currently being measured and will be presented.

The abundances of hyperthermophilic heterotrophs, methanogens, and autotrophic reducers of amorphous Fe(III) oxide in 18 samples of deep-sea hydrothermal vent sulfide chimneys of the Endeavour Segment were measured. The results indicate that conditions favor the growth of iron reducers toward the interiors of these deposits and that of heterotrophs toward the outer surfaces near high-temperatur...

Hydrothermal vents are an important contributor to marine biogeochemistry, producing large volumes of reduced fluids, gasses, and metals and housing unique, productive microbial and animal communities fueled by chemosynthesis. Methane is a common constituent of hydrothermal vent fluid and is frequently consumed at vent sites by methanotrophic bacteria that serve to control escape of this greenh...

We present a comparative analysis of two genome fragments isolated from a diverse and widely distributed group of uncultured euryarchaea from deep-sea hydrothermal vents. The optimal activity and thermostability of a DNA polymerase predicted in one fragment were close to that of the thermophilic archaeon Thermoplasma acidophilum, providing evidence for a thermophilic way of life of this group o...

Direct measurements of shell growth of an unclassified mussel from active hydrothermal vents along the Galápagos Rift reveal growth rates of approxmately 1 centimeter per year for mature specimens. The largest mussel collected (with shell length of 18.4 centimeters) was estimated to be 19 +/- 7 years old at the time of sampling. Recorded growth rates are among the highest documented for deep-se...

Environmental gradients generate countless ecological niches in deep-sea hydrothermal vent systems, which foster diverse microbial communities. The majority of distinct microbial lineages in these communities occur in very low abundance. However, the ecological role and distribution of rare and abundant lineages, particularly in deep, hot subsurface environments, remain unclear. Here, we use 16...

Deep-sea hydrothermal vents are subject to major disturbances that alter the physical and chemical environment and eradicate the resident faunal communities. Vent fields are isolated by uninhabitable deep seafloor, so recolonization via dispersal of planktonic larvae is critical for persistence of populations. We monitored colonization near 9°50'N on the East Pacific Rise following a catastroph...

Hydrothermal systems have prevailed throughout geological history on earth, and ancient ARCHAEAN hydrothermal deposits could provide clues to understanding earth's earliest biosphere. Modern hydrothermal systems support a plethora of microorganisms and macroorganisms, and provide good comparisons for paleontological interpretation of ancient hydrothermal systems. However, all of the microfossil...

Deep-sea hydrothermal vents are populated by dense communities of animals that form symbiotic associations with chemolithoautotrophic bacteria. To date, our understanding of which factors govern the distribution of host/symbiont associations (or holobionts) in nature is limited, although host physiology often is invoked. In general, the role that symbionts play in habitat utilization by vent ho...