On a 1979 return trip by scientists to the Galapagos Rift (this time including biologists), Alvin explored unexpected oases of life on the seafloor. Here, Alvin’s meter-long temperature probe extends toward a community of galatheid crabs perched atop pillow lava and a dense field of mussels. (Photo by Robert Hessler)

As the new and improved Alvin gets its sea legs, starting a new chapter of oceanographic discovery, many of us are looking back on the sub’s 50 years of exploration. As a geobiologist intrigued by the limits of life, many Alvin-supported discoveries have shaped my field, but three in particular stand out: the triptych of seafloor oases. Read More →