Black Smokers and Giant Tube Worms

A deep-sea submersible approaches a cluster of hydrothermal vents and their associated "black smokers", plumes of hot, mineral-rich water from below. Taking advantage of this small environment are giant tube worms, creepy organisms up to three meters long which extract sulfur compounds and metabolize them in ways unknown to creatures who dwell in the light. This is a digital image I made for fun.

Image copyright by Joe Bergeron.