Temperature profoundly influences physiological responses in animals, primarily due to the
effects on biochemical reaction rates. Since physiological responses are often exemplified …

The seabed is a diverse environment that ranges from the desert-like deep seafloor to the
rich oases that are present at seeps, vents, and food falls such as whales, wood or kelp. As …

Deep-sea hydrothermal vents are important in global biogeochemical cycles, providing
biological oases at the sea floor that are supported by the thermal and chemical flux from the …

The analogy between hydrothermal vents and desert oases has been made many times
since the discovery of the lush communities of animals that live around sites of active …

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) play a key role in the external immunity of animals, offering
an interesting model for studying the influence of the environment on the diversification and …

The physico-chemical characteristics of habitats have been considered to be one of the
prime determinants of animal distribution within hydrothermal vent sites. However, the …

The uptake of anthropogenic CO2 by the oceans since the onset of the industrial revolution
is considered a serious challenge to marine ecosystems due to ensuing carbonate …

The thermal limit for metazoan life, expected to be around 50° C, has been debated since
the discovery of the Pompeii worm Alvinella pompejana, which colonizes black smoker …

Acidophilic microorganisms can thrive in both natural and man-made environments. Natural
acidic environments comprise hydrothermal sites on land or in the deep sea, cave systems …

Hydrothermal vent ecosystems support diverse life forms, many of which rely on symbiotic
associations to perform functions integral to survival in these extreme physicochemical …