News Life

Crabs hither, shrimp thither

Biologists document surprising differences among deep-sea animals at hydrothermal vents

By Alexandra Witze

- More than 2 years ago

Like the boroughs of New York City or the arrondissements of Paris, deep-sea communities are turning out to have a strong local flavor.

Yeti crabs crowd around hot springs on the bottom of the Southern Ocean, near Antarctica. Such huge clusters have never been seen before at hydrothermal vents.