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Abyssal Zone Zone on the Bottom of the Ocean The ocean zone where you would find organisms such as worms, sea urchins, and chemosynthetic bacteria is the abyssal zone. • Worms Hydrothermal Vent Communities • Chemosynthetic bacteria are producers. • Energy rich hydrogen sulfide is used. • Hydrogen Sulfide comes from superheating of seawater. • Rich ecosystem • Very patchy in space and time. Hydrothermal Vents www.divediscover.whoi.edu/vents Hydrothermal Vents oceanexplorer.noaa.gov Starfish and Sea Urchin Flatfish Sablefish Mushroom Corals Sea Urchins • Scientists once thought that sunlight was the source of energy for all life and that photosynthesis was the only way to make food. • It is now known that reduced chemicals from hydrothermal vents provide chemosynthetic energy for some lifeforms. • High temperatures and high concentrations of dissolved minerals in seawater form compounds such as hydrogen sulfide. • In a biochemical process, bacteria oxidize hydrogen sulfide and use the liberated energy to produce carbohydrates (stored chemical energy). Chemosynthesis • Unlike photosynthesis, chemosynthesis requires no light and can occur at the extreme temperatures and high pressures of the deep ocean. Chemosynthetic Food Web • The chemosynthetic food web supports dense populations of uniquely adapted organisms
