SpaceRef - Astrobiology and Life Science - Hydrothermal Vent Communities

British Mid-Ocean Ridge Initiative (BRIDGE) - BRIDGE is a research programme planned by a consortium administered through the Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC) that will investigate the processes that operate during the creation of new ocean crust at mid-ocean ridges, and the biological ecosystems associated with them.

Creatures of the Thermal Vents - This article describes the communities that have been found surrounding deep ocean thermal vents. This article originally appeared in Popular Science and is featured on the Smithsonian's OCean Planet website.

Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vents - This page was developed as part of an exhibit of the University of Washington School of Oceanography Exploraquarium.

Hydrothermal processes at mid-ocean ridges - This document at the American Geophysical Union presents a detailed overview of submarine hydrothermal systems, an integral component of crustal construction along the global system of mid-ocean ridges.

Hydrothermal Vent Geochemistry - Hydrothermal circulation occurs when seawater penetrates into the ocean crust, becomes heated, reacts with the crustal rock, and rises to the seafloor. This page at NOAA provides a detailed graphical representation of the various cycles involved in this process.

Hydrothermal vent life - Part of the "Ocean Planet" exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution sponsored by NASA GSFC SeaWiFS project.

RIDGE Program Homepage - RIDGE (Ridge Inter- Disciplinary Global Experiments) is a NSF initiative that encompasses a wide spectrum, from the physics and chemistry of the deep mantle, the volcanology and geology of ocean crust, the chemistry and biology of hydrothermal vents, plumes, and surrounding waters, and the ecosystems sustained by hydrothermal activity.

The Deepsea Research Newsgroup - The DEEPSEA Research Newsgroup exists to serve as an electronic forum for the world's community of deep-sea and hydrothermal vent/seep biologists, oceanographers, and geologists. Frequent uses of DEEPSEA include searches for specialist literature or opinion, specimen exchange, technical discussions, and general discussions about deep-sea marine biology and geology.

VENTS Program - This program was established at NOAA in 1984 to conduct research on the impacts and consequences of submarine volcanoes and hydrothermal venting on the global ocean.