Saturday, April 30, 2005

Way Cool Worm


Cooler. Pompeii worms tolerate scalding temperatures but temper the environment for other creatures.
CREDIT: Ifremer/PHARE/O. Dugornay

"Discovered in the early 1980s, the Pompeii worm (Alvinella pompejana) is the most heat-tolerant animal known. It can survive at temperatures as high as 80°C, according to some scientists. The worm makes its home in thin-walled tubes anchored in the sides of hydrothermal smokers that spew acidic seawater heated to 300°C or more by magma. The smokers are coated in a 10-centimeter thick layer of gel teaming with bacteria."
--- Vent Worms Make Good Neighbors in Science Magazine


Pompeii Worm Page
at the University of Delaware.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Good afternoon:

I would like to ask you some permition to work with the alvinella pompejana picture which we are going to use in a book.

Thanks for your attention.
I look forward.
Good bye
Nelson Colmenares
colmenaresn@santillana.com.co