Deep-ocean hydrothermal vent communities

The theory of plate tectonics has led to a completely unexpected bonanza of research problems for marine biologists. The theory predicted major heat input to the ocean in areas where the sea floor is spreading, and in search for those sources, geophysicists discovered not only deep-ocean hydrothermal vents, where warm water emerges from subterranean sources, but also extraordinary concentrations of large and unusual animals surrounding the vents.