Galápagos: new recognition for a turning point in ocean science
· BehindLines newsroom
A deep-sea discovery site in the Galápagos has gained fresh recognition in the Third 100 Geological Heritage Sites. The selection comes from IUGS, the International Union of Geological Sciences. Its announcement on November 6 highlights where oceanographers located the first known hydrothermal vents in the ocean in 1977.
An ecosystem in darkness
The site is located in the eastern part of the equatorial Pacific Ocean, in the area of the Galápagos Rift. The dives carried out by the submersible Alvin revealed warm water emerging from the ocean floor, along with abundant life around these openings. Tube worms and large shellfish occupied an environment beyond the reach of sunlight. The energy needed to sustain this ecosystem came from chemical reactions, with the help of microorganisms, rather than from photosynthesis.
The discovery also helped scientists gain a better understanding of how the Earth works. In this area, where tectonic plates move apart, water circulates through young oceanic crust and helps carry heat from the planet’s interior. Exchanges between the fluids and the rocks also alter the composition of seawater. These observations opened new fields of research into the geology, chemistry and organisms of the deep ocean.
Recognition for scientific heritage
The sites recognised by IUGS are selected for their exceptional scientific value as examples of geological features, processes or discoveries. Recognition of the Galápagos vents comes ahead of the fiftieth anniversary of their discovery, in 2027. It brings renewed visibility to a reference site in the history of ocean science. Scientific recognition does not, by itself, create new legal protection for the site.