This hydrothermal vent emits black smoke. Hydrothermal vents are fissures in the earth's surface, often found in volcanically active areas. Undersea vents support unique and diverse ecosystems. The base of the food chain in submarine undersea vents is chemosynthetic bacteria fed by chemicals dissolved in the vent fluid.
Courtesy of Volcanoes of the Deep Sea/Rutgers University/Newscom/File