Bacteria at hydrothermal vents inhabit almost everything: rocks, the seafloor, even the inside of animals like mussels. All are living under extreme pressure and temperature changes. Perhaps the oddest and toughest bacteria at vents are the heat-loving ‘thermophiles.’ Temperatures well above 662°F (350°C) are not uncommon at vents. The “world record” for life growing at high temperatures is 235°F (113¼C), a record held by a type of thermophile known as a hyperthermophile. These themophiles grow best above 176°F (80°C).
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Bacteria at hydrothermal vents inhabit almost everything: rocks, the seafloor, even the inside of animals like mussels. All are living under extreme pressure and temperature changes. Perhaps the oddest and toughest bacteria at vents are the heat-loving ‘thermophiles.’ Temperatures well above 662°F (350°C) are not uncommon at vents. The “world record” for life growing at high temperatures is 235°F (113¼C), a record held by a type of thermophile known as a hyperthermophile. These themophiles grow best above 176°F (80°C).