medium · SAT Reading & Writing

Marine biologists studying hydrothermal vents have noted that these deep-sea ecosystems are highly transient, often active for only a few decades before the vent's volcanic heat source shifts. For the specialized organisms that inhabit these vents, such as tube worms, survival depends on the ability of their larvae to locate new, active vents across vast stretches of the cold, inhospitable ocean floor. This requirement implies that for a hydrothermal vent species to avoid extinction,

1. It must produce larvae capable of dispersing over long distances and surviving until they encounter a suitable habitat.
2. It will eventually evolve to survive in the cold ocean floor without the need for hydrothermal heat.
3. The volcanic activity on the ocean floor must remain constant within a single geographic location.
4. Tube worms must be more resilient than any other species currently inhabiting the ocean floor.

Sign up free to see the explanation and track your rank →