A dramatic overview of the deep-sea extremophiles that thrive in scalding water and permanent darkness at the bottom of the ocean

The scalding-hot water gushing from vents at the bottom of the ocean is one of the most extreme environments on Earth. Yet over millions of years, many organisms—from chemical-eating bacteria to eyeless crabs and iron-shelled snails—have evolved in amazing ways that enable them to thrive in this unlikely habitat. Scientists are hard at work to learn more about the complex ecosystems of the ocean depths.
 
Award-winning science writer Mary Batten and NYT best-selling illustrator Thomas Gonzalez, the masterful duo that created Life in a Frozen World, team up again in this impressive overview of hydrothermal ocean vents. Her clear, informative text coupled with his unique and eerily realistic paintings of sights never seen on land—gushing "black smokers," ghostly blind shrimp, red-plumed tube worms—will entice readers to learn more about this once-hidden world at the bottom of the sea.

Series Overview: LIFE IN THE EXTREME
Life is tenacious, grabbing onto cracks and crevices, taking up residence in the most extreme environments on Earth: the frozen world of Antarctica; the scalding hot vents at the bottom of the sea; the top of the rainforest canopy; the total darkness of subterranean habitats such as caves. This series of books deals with animals and plants in extreme environments and the amazing adaptations they have evolved for living there.