Extremophile creatures are hiding in volcanic openings and need no sunlight, suggesting that we are looking for alien life in the wrong place.

Scientists have recently discovered more life beneath the ocean bottom than previously known. Using a robot to explore hydrothermal vents deep in the Pacific Ocean, researchers found not just microbes but larger creatures like tubeworms, sea snails, and marine worms living in small underground caves.

These hydrothermal vents are volcanic openings where hot water and magma mix, creating a rich environment for unique species known as "extremophiles." These organisms thrive under extreme conditions without relying on sunlight, using nutrients produced from the Earth's heat instead, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Communications.

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Earlier studies had shown that life around hydrothermal vents was vibrant, but this new research reveals that animals also live underneath the seafloor in interconnected ecosystems.

The discovery, made by marine biologist Sabine Gollner of the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and her team, suggests that tubeworm larvae might grow both above and below the seafloor, showing how complex life can be in these deep-sea environments.

This discovery raises important questions about the impact of human activities like deep-sea mining, which could harm these delicate ecosystems, the National Geographic notes.

The discovery means that some organisms don’t need starlight to live and, if life exists on other planets, it could be harbored by their inner strata.

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More than that – the ecosystems under the Earth seafloor may be linked to life on other planets. Some researchers believe that if there is life beyond Earth in the Solar System, for example, it might exist in environments like those near hydrothermal vents, where life doesn't depend on the sun. For instance, Jupiter’s moon Europa has an icy surface with a potential ocean underneath, similar to Earth’s deep-sea conditions.

Only 26% of the Earth seafloor has been mapped so far and the rest remains a mystery to scientists.

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