Ice Worms
Inhabitants on Methane Hydrate Mounds

Methane hydrate mound

Methane hydrates like this one, which is 540 meters deep in the Gulf of Mexico, are crystal structures of methane and water which can form under conditions of low temperature and high pressure. This hydrate mound, which is over 6 feet in diameter, has risen off of the seafloor because the "methane ice" is lighter than the sediment or sea water. Click on the hydrate for a closer look at the inhabitants of the mound.

"Life Without Light" home
introduction | tubeworms | mussels
| brine pool | ice worms | food chain |
submarine | videos | our lab