Líffræðifélag Íslands - biologia.is
Líffræðiráðstefnan 2021

Erindi/veggspjald / Talk/poster E89

Too hot to handle - hydrothermal vents in the ocean around Iceland

Höfundar / Authors: Hrönn Egilsdóttir (1), Stefán Áki Ragnarsson (1), Steinunn Hilma Ólafsdóttir (1), Davíð Þór Óðinsson (1), Einar Pétur Jónsson

Starfsvettvangur / Affiliations: 1. Marine and Freshwater Research Institute

Kynnir / Presenter: Hrönn Egilsdóttir

Hydrothermal vents exist in the ocean around Iceland. These vents vary in size, temperature of the outflow, and other characteristics. Most of known vents are located on the Icelandic coast, where land meets ocean. A few vents are known in deeper parts of the ocean, at more than 10 meter depth. Undoubtably, there exists many other vents on the seafloor, that may remain hidden forever, or be discovered in the future. Hydrothermal vents are fascinating phenomena and have been used for various scientific advancements. They have been of interest in pharmaceutical science, for studying evolution and the origin of life, and to understand how environmental gradients shape marine communities. In this talk, we give an overview of the known hydrothermal vents within the Icelandic EEZ and provide various information about the characteristics of these vents and give insight in to recent and ongoing research.