@mbari_news: These wondrous worms build their homes directly on the rocky vent chimneys where temperatures can reach up to 105 degrees Celsius (221 degrees Fahrenheit). 🔥⁠ ⁠ Pompeii worms (Alvinella pompejana) live on hydrothermal vent “chimneys,” where superheated water belches from within the Earth’s crust, delivering a rain of mineral “ash.” Here, large numbers of worms settle side by side, each darting in and out of their paper-thin tubes while waving pointy, rust-colored gills.⁠ ⁠ What’s the secret to surviving such scalding temperatures? The woolly worm scuttles back and forth between the hot water rich in nutrients and the cool water rich in oxygen—a movement that also mixes cool water into the tube. But more importantly, a fleece-like layer of bacteria helps insulate the Pompeii worm from the extreme heat.⁠ ⁠ On their own, Pompeii worms can only tolerate temperatures up to 55 degrees Celsius (131 degrees Fahrenheit), but their bacterial coating redistributes heat, keeping them cool. These bacteria not only help regulate the worm's temperature but also break down minerals from the vent to aid their host. #MBARI #DeepSea #DeepOcean #

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Thursday 09 April 2026 04:46:37 GMT