Lost City Macrofauna Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
WHOI/MIT Joint Program in Oceanography When the Lost City
Hydrothermal Field first emerged in the lights of a submersible
in 2001 the venting spires did not appear to teem with life like
most other vent fields around the world. There were no large red
tubeworms, fields of clams or mussels typical of eastern Pacific
vents or massive swarms of shrimp common to vents along the Mid-
Atlantic Ridge. Yet in 2003, recovered pieces of Lost City
chimney spires revealed numerous animals less than an eighth of
an inch long. To date, over 70 potential species have been
identified from Lost City, a surprisingly high biodiversity
which is more than double the number of species found on vent
chimneys typical of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The Lost City vent
site may look barren at first glance, but look a little deeper,
into the cracks and crevices of the carbonate through a
microscope and the animals become obvious. Tiny invertebrates
dwell within the cracks of these hig