Deep-sea tube worms get an assist from methane-eating bacteria

Methane-consuming serpulid worms on the seafloor off the coast of Costa Rica. | Image: Alvin, WHOI Scientists exploring deep-sea seeps, where methane bubbles up out of the seafloor, have made a discovery that changes our understanding of these mysterious ecosystems. They found that two species of tube worms actually trap methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, through a never-before-seen symbiotic relationship between the worms and methane-eating bacteria.
By mapping the seafloor near Costa Rica wi