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Scientists have found few tubeworm larvae in the water column surrounding vents, and constant stream of supercharged fluid would also make it difficult for the larvae to attach themselves from above.

The scientists posit that tubeworm larvae traverse this subsurface maze, which Huber refers to as the “subseafloor conveyor belt,” to travel from vent to vent.

This led the researchers to hypothesize that tubeworm larvae were squirming through crevices below the seafloor to reach new vents.

Below the vents, the researchers also discovered a lot of tiny tubes, which revealed that these subsurface chambers serve as tubeworm nurseries.

“A little bit does go a long way. So we pair it with tubeworm shells, which are honestly a little bland.”