Deep-sea tube worms get an assist from methane-eating bacteria

Scientists exploring deep-sea seeps, where methane bubbles up out of the seafloor, have made a discovery that changes our understanding of these mysterious ecosystems. They found that two species of tube worms actually trap methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, through a never-before-seen symbiotic relationship between the worms and methane-eating bacteria.

By mapping the seafloor near Costa Rica with autonomous underwater vehicles, the scientists also realized that these worms were spread out up to 300 meters farther away from the methane seeps than other organisms. Their research, published today in the journal Science Advances, could bolster arguments to expand the boundaries used to protect ecosystems around methane seeps from deep-sea...

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