Deep-Sea Vents: Life Without Sunlight Live Program

The Global Viewport to Deep-Sea Vents includes two docent-led presentations that are matched to movies in the SOS Data Catalog: Life Without Sunlight and Smoke and Fire Underwater. Two datasets from the scripts have been added to the data catalog. They can be viewed here: Deep-Sea Vent Locations and Deep-Sea Vent Discoveries.

Both presentations allow viewers to explore the deep ocean, visiting hot springs on the seafloor, and to learn about interactions among Earth systems - lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. Both presentations interweave global datasets with imagery of the seafloor obtained from deep-diving vehicles and are aligned with Earth Science and Ocean Literacy Principles. Materials for each include the script and playlist, all data sets needed to run the program, and a pip and icons to enhance the presentation.

Evaluation at the Ocean Explorium indicates that students and adults viewing these presentations get excited about the great unexplored deep ocean frontier and the exploration and research of deep-sea vents.

Is a scripted program that is designed to accompany presentations on primary production and marine biodiversity.

• Earth is a complex system of interacting rock, water, air, and life.
• There are deep ocean ecosystems that are independent of energy from sunlight and photosynthetic organisms.
• The ocean is the last and largest unexplored place on Earth.

• Script
• Playlist
• Live Program Recording at Ocean Explorium

About the Global Viewport to Deep-Sea Vents:The "Global Viewport to Deep-Sea Vents" was named in honor of the launching of the new Human-Occupied Vehicle Alvin in 2014 with its improved viewports for scientific observations. Funding was provided by NSF #1202977 to S. Beaulieu (WHOI) and A. Spargo (Ocean Explorium). Additional documentation including credits for all data sources is available at Woods Hole Open Access Server.