The Galápagos Rift Expedition That Rewrote Life on Earth

What allowed complex ecosystems to thrive at the Galápagos Rift without sunlight in 1977? In 1977 scientists in Alvin discovered low temperature vents on the Galapagos spreading center east of those same islands. Previously, benthic oceanographers assumed that vent organisms were dependent on marine snow, as deep-sea organisms are. We will come back to the precise temperature readings that baffled the team on the deck of the research vessel. Sources: DSV Alvin (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DSV_Alvin Galápagos hotspot (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galápag... Hydrothermal vent (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroth... Alvin and the Chipmunks - Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvin_a... Alvin, Texas - Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvin,_... The Importance of Hydrothermal Vents: https://www.whoi.edu/feature/history-... The Discovery of Hydrothermal Vents : 1977 - Astounding Disc: https://www.whoi.edu/feature/history-... 0:00 Introduction 1:21 Building the Submersible Alvin 1:48 Early Clues and Traces 2:25 The 1977 Galápagos Expedition 3:44 A Changed View of Life 4:58 The Machinery and Mechanics of Discovery 6:15 Symbiosis and Survival in the Deep 6:48 The Sinking and Recovery of Alvin 7:35 Subsequent Discoveries on the East Pacific Rise Credits: Connexion wifi entre un observatoire et le ROV (Ifremer 0... (CC BY 4.0, Ifremer) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Dépôt de poids sur la plateforme de la station SEAMON Est... (CC BY 4.0, Ifremer) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Vue sur la station SEAMON West (Ifremer 00701-81283) (CC BY 4.0, null) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... MARUM Schwarzer Raucher (CC BY 4.0, MARUM − Zentrum für Marine Umw) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Cheminée hydrothermale active (Ifremer 00702-81415) (CC BY 4.0, null) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... ALVIN Panorama (CC BY 3.0, Taollan82) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... MARUM Schwarzer Raucher Fauna (CC BY 4.0, MARUM − Zentrum für Marine Umw) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Branchies de vers géants (Riftia Pachyptila) et anémones ... (CC BY 4.0, null) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Sonde autonome de température des fluides hydrothermaux (... (CC BY 4.0, null) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Le Nautile effectuant des opérations de maintenance en en... (CC BY 4.0, null null) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Le Nautile effectuant des opérations de maintenance en en... (CC BY 4.0, null null) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Le Nautile effectuant des opérations de maintenance en en... (CC BY 4.0, null null) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Le Nautile effectuant des opérations de maintenance en en... (CC BY 4.0, null null) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Arrivée lente vers la source hydrothermale Tour Eiffel (I... (CC BY 4.0, null) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Le Nautile effectuant des opérations de maintenance en en... (CC BY 4.0, null null) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... 1 more clip(s) by null (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons 1 more clip(s) by null, null, null, null (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons 1 more clip(s) by null null (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons Historical photographs: public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, U.S. Navy and other archives. Narration is synthetic. Script r